'  *: '  ; ' .         ;:  li !  iiii 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


IN  THE 
LAND  OF  EXTREMES 


BY 


MARIE  COTTRELL 


Cochrane  Publishing  Company 

Tribune   Building 

New  York 

1909 


Copyright,    1909, 

BY 
COCHRANE  PUBLISHING  Co. 


To  my  dear  father,  who  developed  my  love  for  books, 
this  work  is  lovingly  dedicated. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 


*fT   HOLD  that  no  person  should  impose  his  thoughts 

upon  the  public  unless  he  feels  that  the  message 

which  he  has  to^  deliver  is  one  that  the  public  needs. 

Authors  are  surely  born  and  not  made.  The  born 
writer  feels  the  love  of  the  pen  stirring  within  his  being 
during  the  days  of  childhood;  with  the  pen  he  finds 
the  one  mode  of  expression  which  satisfies  his  inner 
being  and  soul.  Such  is  the  writer's  excuse  for  pre- 
senting the  following  pages. 

The  author  of  this  work  simply  wishes  to  give  to  the 
public  a  truer  idea  of  life  as  it  is  to-day,  "  in  her 
country;"  wishes  to  correct  false  impressions  which  the 
recent  writings  of  certain  well-known  knights  of  the 
quill  have  planted  in  the  minds  of  the  people  concerning 
Arizona.  No  doubt  some  of  these  stories  have  been 
true  of  a  past  period,  but  even  such  portray  only  camp, 
ranch  or  mining  life,  and  this  is  by  no  means  the 
whole  of  life  in  "my  country."  Arizona  has  well  been 
called  "a  lotus  land  of  charm."  Those  who  have  lived 
or  visited  within  her  borders  have  felt  this  charm,  but 
few  have  been  able  to  express  or  analyze  it.  This  charm 
is  something  vague,  elusive,  mystic. 

Arizona  is  utterly  different  from  any  other  part  of  the 
United  States.  You  can  find  some  State  to  compare 

5 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

with  every  other  State  in  the  Union,  with  the  single 
exception  of  Arizona.  It  is  a  world  by  itself  and  is 
governed  by  altogether  different  influences  from  those 
that  prevail  in  the  average  commonwealth.  It  is  said 
to  resemble  Palestine,  and  the  San  Pedro  river  is  her- 
alded as  a  duplicate  of  the  historic  river  Jordan. 

I  say  that  no  person  should  attempt  to  portray  life 
in  any  country  unless  he  loves  that  country,  and  I  think 
it  would  be  better  if  he  had  been  in  that  country  once, 
at  least,  though  he  placed  but  one  foot  across  the  bor- 
der. I  have  in  mind  certain  "  famous"  stories  which 
have  been  written  about  Arizona  recently.  Any  citi- 
zen of  Arizona  who  reads  these  stories  will  know  that 
the  authors  of  the  same  did  not  know  life  in  Arizona, 
though  they  may  have  lived  there.  Nothing  could  be 
more  untrue  of  life  in  "my  country"  than  some  of  these 
narratives.  The  tales  themselves  are  clever  enough, 
once  you  dig  down  beneath  the  filth  of  dialect  which  those 
authors  seem  to  think  represents  the  vernacular  of  Ari- 
zona. I  admire  the  authors  of  those  stories  in  a  way; 
they  must  have  been  as  difficult  to  write  as  they  are  to 
read.  I  may  be  doing  injustice  to  the  authors  of  some  of 
these  Arizona  stories,  but  if  I  trusted  to  my  judgment  to 
guide  me,  I  should  aver  that  the  Bowery  in  New  York  is 
as  near  to  Arizona  as  they  have  ever  been.  They  must 
have  gathered  their  slang  from  the  "  East  Side,"  if  in- 
deed they  gathered  it  from  any  place  at  all.  Such  au- 
thors should  be  classed  with  the  long  line  of  "  Nature 
fakirs,"  whom  President  Roosevelt  has  pointed  out. 

Many  of  the  people  of  Arizona  use  slang  and  much 
good  live  slang  is  born  among  us,  but  there  is  no  Ari- 
zona slang  of  the  sort  that  has  appeared  in  some  books. 

6 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

The  author  of  this  story  is  not  a  native  of  Arizona.  It 
is  her  land  by  adoption;  however,  she  is  insulted  when 
it  is  misrepresented  or  abused.  She  has  lived  in  many 
different  parts  of  Arizona  for  many  years  and  has  studied 
its  life  closely,  but  she  has  never  heard  such  language 
used  in  any  section  of  the  Territory  by  any  class  of  peo- 
ple as  these  authors  put  into  the  mouths  of  Arizona 
people.  It  is  nauseating  to  intelligence. 

Great  tragedies  of  the  heart  take  place  in  this  land 
of  extremes,  and  most  of  the  incidents  related  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages  transpired  in  Arizona,  and  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  writer. 

The  pen  and  the  sword  are  closely  allied,  and  perhaps 
this  is  why  I  rise  up  in  arms  to  defend  "my  country." 


Part  L— Experience 


CHAPTER  I. 

IT  was  not  so  many  years  ago  that  Fate  commenced 
playing  the  contrary  tricks  of  which  I  am  to  write.  It  all 
occurred  in  that  land  of  extremes,  where  wastes  are  wide 
and  waterless,  where  river  valleys  are  verdant,  and 
where  the  shimmering  sun  shines  as  resplendently  in 
February  as  in  August.  In  other  words,  it  all  happened 
in  Arizona. 

I  am  glad  it  was  in  those  days  when  the  young  girl 
heroine  was  yet  a  favorite,  for  I  fear  I  could  not  write 
eulogies  concerning  a  saucy  widow  or  about  the  unhappy 
married  women  who  are  so  popular  in  the  fiction  of  the 
present. 

The  crowd  of  aimless  loungers  about  the  Prescott 
depot,  who  were  watching  the  morning  train  pull  in  from 
Phoenix,  opened  their  eyes  with  interest  as  a  girl  came 
from  a  Pullman  coach,  and,  after  looking  about  uncer- 
tainly, entered  the  'bus  for  the  Burk  Hotel.  The  porter, 
who  always  came  to  meet  the  trains  as  runner,  looked  at 
the  driver  and  winked,  nodding  his  head  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  girl.  The  driver  answered  this  indication  by 
shutting  one  eye  in  a  ridiculous  squint  and  drawing  in 

9 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

a  long  breath.  But  before  the  'bus  drove  away  from  the 
platform,  several  impertinent  fellows,  Fred  Harmon  for 
one,  perched  themselves  within  the  vehicle  opposite  the 
interesting  stranger,  with  no  better  purpose  than  to  be 
able  to  stare  at  the  newcomer.  Both  porter  and  driver 
made  efforts  to  show  off  "smart/'  but  the  girl  was  not 
minding  these  fellows.  She  was  looking  over  the  ram- 
shackle array  of  wooden  structures,  for  such  was  Prescott 
in  those  days,  before  the  big  fire,  which  laid  the  town 
in  a  bed  of  ashes,  and  out  of  which  has  sprung  a  beau- 
tiful city  of  stone. 

This  girl  was  looking  with  interested  eyes ;  being  like 
all  other  young  creatures  who  set  out  alone  for  the  first 
time  in  the  wide,  wide  world,  she  was  expecting  only  good 
and  profitable  happenings  to  come  her  way.  There  was 
no  foreshadow  of  aught  that  was  harmful  or  evil  in  her 
thought.  As  yet  she  had  proven  nothing  to  her  own 
satisfaction  of  this  world  and  all  its  tangles;  life  lay 
before  her  an  untried  experiment.  But  she  was  eager 
to  investigate  all  things.  For  this  purpose  she  had 
come  West,  like  other  restless  seekers,  after  a 
change.  As  yet  her  mind  was  without  any  def- 
inite purpose.  She  was  eager  to  meet  whatever 
came  her  way  •  in  the  line  of  experience.  In  after 
years,  no  doubt,  when  her  life  should  have  de- 
veloped into  a  firm  purpose,  she  would  look  back  upon 
this  first  journey  when  her  soul  sang,  "  Westward,  ho !  " 
and  shudder  at  the  risks  she  ran.  To-day  her  innocence 
of  all  pitfalls  was  her  safeguard.  She  was  dwelling  in 
the  sunshine  of  perpetual  expectation,  and  was  looking 
about  the  town  eagerly.  It  all  seemed  strange  and  un- 
known to  her,  but  so  interesting.  Perhaps  she  would 

10 


.  In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

spy  a  mounted  cowboy  and  fall  in  love  with  him  at  first 
sight.  This  was  the  event  she  wished  for,  from  the  first 
day  she  set  her  foot  in  the  Territory,  having  just  read 
the  "  Virginian."  How  she  longed  for  this,  but  some- 
how it  would  not  happen,  and  yet  she  had  seen  a 
number  of  cowboys,  mounted  and  otherwise.  But  this 
was  almost  what  she  had  come  West  for.  Alas,  the 
things  we  "cut  and  dry"  in  our  prognostications  are  sel- 
dom if  ever  the  things  which  transpire;  it  is  the  unex- 
pected that  always  happens. 

While  the  'bus  moved  along  the  street,  the  girl  searched 
the  town  with  her  eyes,  trying  to  adjust  her  thoughts  to 
the  new  condition,  but  all  the  while  she  was  conscious  of 
some  compelling  influence  hovering  near,  that  pulled 
her  musings  in  a  direction  opposite  that  of  her  own  voli- 
tion. In  an  attempt  to  master  this,  she  found  herself 
looking  into  the  eyes  of  Fred  Harmon. 

When  at  length  the  girl  was  helped  from  the  'bus  by 
a  willing  but  awkward  fellow,  and  had  entered  the  office 
of  the  hotel,  there  was  a  perceptible  stir  among  all  pres- 
ent. The  clerk  at  the  desk  was  politeness  personified 
as  he  swung  the  register  around  and  gave  her  the  pen, 
and  when  she  had  affixed  her  dainty  signature  to  the  page, 
he  curtly  dismissed  the  bell  boy,  and  himself  conducted 
her  to  one  of  the  best  rooms  in  the  house. 

"  Who  is  the  young  lady  in  number  six,"  asked  the 
night  clerk  as  he  reported  for  duty  at  the  usual  hour. 

"  Don't  know  any  more  than  this,  Kelly,"  answered 
the  day  clerk,  placing  his  finger  on  the  page  before  him — 
"  Registers  from  Nova  Scotia,  name  is  Myrnie  Leston, 
takes  the  room  for  a  month." 

ii 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  From  Nova  Scotia  ?  Wonder  if  she  wishes  she  was 
in  Halifax  now?" 

"  Can't  say.  She's  sure  in  Arizona  now.  Seen  her, 
Kelly?" 

"  Yes,  saw  her  getting  a  drink  at  the  end  of  the  hall. 
Went  past  her  a  time  or  two  and  was  planning  to  give  her 
some  kind  of  information  about  the  house,  but  she  hur- 
ried into  her  room  and  would  not  look  at  me.  There  she 
is  now,  coming  down  for  supper.  Gee  Whiz!  Look, 
Joe  Mower,  good  sight  for  sore  eyes." 

Fred  Harmon  was  sitting  in  a  secluded  corner  of  the 
lobby,  but  he,  too,  saw  the  girl  coming  consciously  down 
the  stairway,  and  at  once  sitting  straight  in  his  chair, 
he  stared  hard,  but  when  her  eyes  met  his,  drawn  as  they 
were  by  his  direct  gaze,  he  was  compelled  to  look  away. 
When  she  had  passed  into  the  dining  room,  he  walked 
leisurely  over  to  the  desk,  and  looked  over  the  day's  ar- 
rivals again  for  about  the  sixth  time  that  day.  A  certain 
name  scrawled  slenderly  upon  the  page  was  attractive  to 
him.  He  next  went  to  a  window  and  looked  outside; 
with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  he  whistled  a  slow  love 
tune;  then,  as  though  he  had  nothing  better  to  do,  he 
sauntered  into  the  dining  room,  and  so  "happened"  to 
seat  himself  as  to  have  a  front  view  of  the  face  which 
at  that  minute  seemed  the  one  object  of  attraction  to  the 
whole  roomful  of  guests.  The  reason  for  this  was  obvi- 
ous. Myrnie  Leston  was  not  of  ordinary  appearance. 
She  was  a  beauty  of  rare  type,  and  wherever  did  a 
pretty  girl  exist  who  did  not  attract  attention  ? 

Miss  Leston  paid  no  heed  to  people's  staring.  She  had 
been  stared  at  ever  since  leaving  Nova  Scotia,  and 
thought  it  only  the  rudeness  of  Western  people.  Her 

12 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

wonderful  mass  of  hair  was  brown,  and  yet  when  the 
sun  shone  on  it,  as  it  did  now  through  an  open  window, 
it  was  all  dotted  and  lighted  up  with  gold.  And  her 
eyes,  perhaps  some  thought  they  were  black.  No,  they 
were  violet,  and  violet  of  the  deepest  hue.  The  long 
lashes  which  fringed  them  in  were  much  darker  than  her 
hair,  and  this  is  what  made  her  bright  eyes  appear  black 
in  certain  lights.  But  when  her  dress  was  blue,  as  it 
now  was,  her  eyes  were  liquid  and  clear  and  sparkling  in 
violet  depths,  brighter  than  heaven's  own  stars.  A  com- 
plexion of  almost  unknown  fairness,  cheeks  as  pink  as 
roses,  and  lips  like  the  ripest  cherries ;  these  were  some  of 
the  things  which  made  people  stare.  She  was  of  medium 
height,  round  and  graceful,  but  gave  the  impression  of 
being  smaller  than  she  really  was,  so  perfectly  wa$  she 
moulded.  Her  bust  being  a  little  large,  she  had  tried 
to  crowd  it  into  a  tight  corset  cover,  but  without  much 
success,  and  flat-chested  women  made  jeering  remarks 
(envious  things)  while  the  men  stared  in  open  admiration. 
A  small  waist-line  and  fine  hips  were  set  off  by  the 
daintiest,  high-instepped  feet.  But  I  wish  you  could 
have  seen  her  neck.  It  is  seldom  one  finds  the  perfect 
neck.  Her's  was  round  and  white  and  smooth  and  long 
enough  to  curve  gracefully.  A  tiny  chestnut  curl  or  two 
fell  down  from  the  hair  behind.  Her  ears  were  noticeable 
in  their  delicate  perfection,  being  like  little  pink  shells 
protruding  from  her  ringlets.  One  feature  of  her  face, 
however,  slightly  marred  its  perfection.  This  was  the 
high,  broad  forehead.  It  was  an  exceedingly  fine  fore- 
head, intellectually  considered,  but  for  a  girl  of  her  type 
seemed  hardly  befitting;  still,  when  the  fluffy  hair  was 

13 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

dressed  low  in  front,  the  overprominent  effect  of  the  fore- 
head was  quite  eliminated. 

It  may  seem  incredible  that  this  girl  was  unaware  of 
her  extraordinary  charm,  but  such  was  the  truth.  She 
was  yet  young,  and  had  not  discovered  her  beauty,  for 
she  had  never  been  allowed  to  spend  much  time  or 
thought  on  personal  appearance;  instead,  the  sternest  of 
morals  and  strict  habits  of  industry  were  drilled  into  her. 
Then,  too,  she  had  been  reared  in  Nova  Scotia,  where 
beautiful  women  are  as  plentiful  as  flowers  in  California. 
In  Arizona,  where  girls  even  of  a  plain  type  are  scarce, 
a  beauty  attracts  as  promptly  as  a  magnet  placed  into 
a  group  of  tacks. 

Several  times  during  this  meal  Fred  Harmon's  eyes 
met  the  girl's,  but  it  was  always  she  who  looked  away. 
Once  his  admiration  was  so  apparent  that  she  blushed  a 
little,  looking  down  into  her  plate.  This  sent  little  elec- 
trical shocks  tingling  through  the  man's  every  vein.  But 
the  blush  came  and  went  quickly,  as  did  the  army  of 
little  dimples  which  played  in  circles  about  her  mouth, 
like  little  whirlpools  on  a  tiny  lake.  She  knew  that  she 
had  blushed,  and  this  knowledge  sent  defiance  through 
her  every  fiber,  and  she  looked  at  the  gentleman  before 
her  spitefully  and  tried  to  decide  that  she  disliked  him 
very  much. 

After  the  meal  she  wandered  aimlessly  through  the 
halls,  looking  out  this  window  and  that.  Again  a  feel- 
ing of  rebellion  and  repugnance  went  through  her  as  she 
felt  that  same  strange  despotic  will  taunting  her.  Look- 
ing up  she  saw  Fred  Harmon  observing  her  from  a  dim 
corner  of  the  hall.  Promptly  she  went  into  her  room  and 
slammed  the  door. 

14 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Myrnie  was  not  long  a  stranger  in  this  Western  town, 
where  convention  and  formality  are  dispensed  with  as 
much  as  possible.  Joe  Mower  and  Kelly  were  among 
the  first  to  make  themselves  known  to  her.  Fred  Har- 
mon boasted  of  being  the  very  first,  and  carried  the  boast 
about  on  his  shoulders  as  though  the  first  always  has  the 
best  chance,  but  his  boast  was  not  an  audible  one.  The 
married  ladies  and  the  few  unmarried  ladies  in  the  house, 
along  with  the  young  widow  who  tended  the  cigar  stand 
in  the  office,  met  her  and  welcomed  her  as  one  of  their 
number,  but  the  motive  that  impelled  them  to  seek  her 
acquaintance  was  different  from  that  which  impelled  her 
male  admirers.  Before  she  had  been  in  Prescott  a  fort- 
night, she  had  received  invitations  to  some  of  the  select 
parties,  and  had  actually  attended  one.  Needless  to  say, 
she  was  not  a  wallflower. 

It  was  May,  and  the  position  which  she  had  secured 
at  Phoenix  would  not  call  her  till  September,  hence  there 
was  nothing  for  her  to  do  now  but  to  abandon  herself  to 
Prescott's  summer  season. 

One  morning  after  a  thunderstorm,  Myrnie  was  stand- 
ing upon  the  balcony  upon  which  her  room  opened,  view- 
ing the  freshened  landscape,  that  glistened  like  a  jewel 
in  the  clear  sunshine.  In  Arizona  a  thunderstorm  seems 
to  burst  abruptly  from  a  clear  sky,  rages  fiercely,  passes 
quickly  and  leaves  a  serene,  fragrant  atmosphere  and 
smiling  firmament.  Rivers  rise  and  run  dry  again,  all  in 
the  space  of  a  few  hours. 

The  girl  felt  the  influence  of  eyes  fastened  upon  her. 
She  looked  about  her  nervously,  but,  seeing  no  one,  con- 
tinued to  look  over  the  brilliant  hills.  Presently  some- 
thing, perhaps  a  slight  noise  overhead,  caused  her  to  look 

15 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

upward,  and  there,  from  the  balcony  above,  she  beheld 
a  pair  of  the  most  admiring  eyes  bent  upon  her.  The 
eyes  smiled,  and  Myrnie,  after  hesitating  for  a  moment, 
smiled  too ;  she  had  looked  into  these  eyes  before. 

"  Better  view  from  up  here,"  Fred  Harmon  called 
down  to  her.  "  Come  up  and  I  shall  be  pleased  to  point 
out  to  you  some  of  Prescott's  interesting  features."  She 
ran  to  the  end  of  the  balcony  where  the  stairway  was,  but 
before  ascending  hesitated  an  instant.  Should  she  go 
or  should  she  not?  Something  within  her  free  will  said 
"  No,"  but  soon  this  free  will  fled  from  her  and  she  went 
up  to  him.  She  had  been  duly  warned  and  had  made  her 
choice.  This  was  the  last  time  this  warning  voice  should 
speak. 

A  pleasant  conversation  ensued,  in  which  Fred  learned 
that  Myrnie  had  come  to  Arizona  to  teach  school, 
because  better  salaries  are  paid  in  the  Territory  than 
elsewhere  in  the  country.  "  Besides,"  she  confided  to 
him,  "  girls  of  my  age  can  scarcely  secure  good  positions 
in  the  East,  experienced  teachers  are  so  plentiful." 

"  But  do  you  not  feel  awfully  alone  here  in  this  strange 
land  so  far  from  home  with  no  trusted  friends  near  ?  " 
he  asked  her. 

"  No,  I  feel  free.  There  is  such  excessive  freedom 
here,  so  much  air,  so  much  sky,  so  much  space.  Freedom, 
freedom  of  the  right  sort,  freedom  of  thought.  I  think 
I  should  always  stay  young  here.  There  is  nothing  that 
binds.  This  life  brings  enthusiasm  and  enthusiasm  is 
youth.  I  am  going  to  forget  my  birthdays  and  always 
remain  as  I  am." 

They  laughed  at  this,  and  Fred  spoke,  "  If  it  was 
known  this  climate  could  produce  that  effect  on  the 

16 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

gentler  sex,  I  fear  all  the  women  of  creation  would  at- 
tempt to  crowd  within  our  borders,  and  that  would  be 
more  disastrous  than  has  been  the  dearth  of  women  in 
this  country.  Few  girls,  out  alone  in  the  world  as  you 
are,  could  confront  so  much  freedom  without  a  guiding 
hand.  I  wonder  that  your  relatives  permit  it." 

"  My  friends  think  I  am  with  friends  of  the  family, 
and  I  did  not  tell  them  that  these  friends  went  to  Cali- 
fornia soon  after  I  came  here;  but  please,  Mr.  Harmon, 
do  not  commence  to  preach.  I  have  been  preached  at  all 
my  life.  I  came  West  to  get  away  from  it." 

"  But  you  do  need  some  one  to  help  you  in  this  wide- 
open  place." 

"  I  do  not  think  I  should  object  to  a  guiding  hand,  but 
I  do  object  to  a  certain  kind  of  restraint,  that  which 
keeps  me  from  putting  forth  the  best  that  is  in  me.  I 
have  no  parents,  no  brothers,  no  sisters,  nobody.  I  was 
reared  by  a  kind  and  considerate  aunt,  but  she  had  a 
family  of  her  own  and  there  really  never  was  any  place 
for  me.  So  as  soon  as  I  could  command  the  little  inher- 
itance left  me  I  started  out  to  do  for  myself." 

"And  came  to  dry,  warped  Arizona,"  he  said,  looking 
at  her  earnestly. 

"  Yes,  it  does  seem  dry  and  warped  in  some  places,  but 
I  am  learning  to  like  it,  really.  I  must  like  it.  It  is 
not  one  bit  like  Nova  Scotia,  and  when  I  first  came  to 
Phoenix,  I  thought  I  should  die  for  a  glimpse  of  some- 
thing beautiful." 

"  Why  did  you  not  look  into  your  mirror  ?  "  he  asked, 
smiling  slyly. 

"  Yes,  that  might  have  done  for  a  sight  of  something 
green.  Every  woman  looks  into  her  mirror  often 

17 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

enough,  men  say,  but  really  I  think  I  shall  grow  fond  of 
Arizona.  I  am  beginning  to  see  that  the  much-abused 
land  has  a  rare  kind  of  beauty  of  her  own.  There  is 
such  dearth  of  moisture  and  verdure  in  some  parts  of 
this  country,  as  to  make  the  naked  aridity  positively  at- 
tractive. Think  of  the  stretches  and  waste  of  desert, 
these  severe  and  barren  mountains,  the  misty  distances 
and  the  mirage." 

Fred's  eyes  were  fastened  upon  her  as  she  thus  ran 
on  in  her  vivacious  way.  He  listened,  charmed  at  her 
perfect  English  and  well  modulated  voice,  so  different 
from  the  twang  in  the  speech  of  the  Western  girls.  "  You 
have  discovered  a  great  deal,  little  girl,"  he  said. 
"  Many  people  live  here  for  a  lifetime  and  never  find  so 
much.  But  look,  out  there — the  rainbow  is  bending  over 
Pilot  knob.  Can  Nova  Scotia  excel  that?" 

"Nova  Scotia?"  she  asked.  "Humph,  Nova  Scotia 
can  excel  every  other  place."  The  tears  stood  in  her 
eyes  and  Fred  knew  that  he  had  before  him  a  little, 
homesick  girl. 

"  I  have  travelled  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  not  in 
Nova  Scotia,  however,  but  Arizona  always  calls  me  back. 
There  is  fascination  here,  something  that  lures  and  draws 
me.  I  guess  I  am  a  genuine  Hassayamper." 

"And  what  is  a  Hassayamper?"  she  asked,  looking 
at  him  queerly. 

Fred  laughed,  as  every  one  always  does  in  Arizona 
when  he  speaks  of  the  Hassayamper.  "  A  Hassayamper  ? 
Well,  a  Hassayamper  is  any  person  who  has  drank  the 
water  of  the  Hassayampa  river.  They  say  here  in  this 
country  that  if  you  have  ever  drank  that  water  you  can 
never  permanently  leave  the  territory." 

18 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Mercy !  I  hope  I  shall  never  be  compelled  to  drink 
it.  Have  you  been  so  unfortunate,  Mr.  Harmon  ?  " 

"  Unfortunate  ?  I  once  rode  all  day  in  order  to  do 
so.  No  one  misses  it  out  here.  But  the  water  has  even 
worse  effects  I  am  told." 

"  What  else  ?    What  could  be  worse  ?  " 

"  Well,  after  you  have  tasted  this  water  you  become 
very  careless  in  handling  the  truth,  in  fact  can  scarcely 
tell  the  truth." 

"  Mercy  me,  I  shall  certainly  beware  the  Hassayampa. 
And  you  have  drank  it  ?  I  shall  be  careful  of  you." 

"  Since  you  are  to  teach  in  Phoenix,  you  can  avoid 
the  Hassayampa,  but  you  cannot  escape  me  in  that  way." 

"  I  am  to  teach  a  mile  outside  of  Phoenix  on  the  Yuma 
road." 

"  That  is  called  the  Umbrella  district,  because  of  all 
those  umbrella  trees  which  surround  the  school  house. 
I  know  the  place  well.  I  make  my  headquarters  at 
Phoenix  during  the  winter.  We  shall  be  neighbors." 

Fred's  duty  took  him  away  at  this  point,  and  his  men- 
tal comment,  as  he  went  down  the  stair,  was  "  this  will 
never,  never  do.  What  a  damned  fool  I  am  anyway." 

"  Maybe  not  so  bad  after  all,"  was  what  the  girl  said. 
But  after  this  conversation,  Fred,  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  giving  his  thoughts  to  problems  of  a  more  sober 
nature,  met  with  the  groups  of  friendly  loggers  who  con- 
gregated on  the  upper  balconies  of  evenings.  Days 
were  growing  warm  and  rooms  were  none  too  cool  of 
nights,  and  is  it  not  a  known  fact  that  the  inhabitants  of 
the  West  spend  their  summers,  and  indeed  most  of  their 
winters,  out  of  doors?  Besides  it  was  light  moon — light 
moon  in  Arizona,  if  you  know  what  that  means.  These 

19 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

were  the  excuses  Harmon  allowed  himself.  Myrnie  was 
with  these  light-hearted  groups.  Can  any  one  imagine 
how  pleasant  were  these  evenings?  Think  of  the  most 
carefree  hour  you  ever  spent  and  compare  them.  Still 
you  could  hardly  have  an  accurate  idea  then,  unless  your 
happy  hour  was  spent  in  the  Southwest.  For  this  is  the 
land  where  bargained-for  customs  are  set  aside,  where 
jealousy  does  not  nourish,  and  where  woman  to  woman 
is  honest,  as  well  as  man  to  man  or  woman  to  man.  The 
scattered  inhabitants  cherish  fellowship  in  a  bond  of 
equality,  of  simple  brotherhood.  These  people  love  their 
country.  Governor  Tritles  once  voiced  public  sentiment 
from  the  speaker's  platform  when  he  said,  "  If  you  find 
a  man  who  will  not  speak  up  for  his  country,  kill  him 
just  as  quick  as  you  can,  and  if  any  jury  in  this  Territory 
convicts  that  man,  I  promise  to  write  his  pardon." 

Although  Myrnie  was  by  far  the  most  lovely  of  the 
women  present  at  these  evening  gatherings,  no  one 
seemed  jealous  of  her,  unless  it  was  the  widow  who 
tended  the  cigar  stand  in  the  office,  and  of  that  I  am  not 
sure.  Rare  women !  One  thing  did  puzzle  them  though, 
and  that  was  what  she  was  doing  when  she  locked  herself 
in  her  room  all  the  forenoon  and  politely  informed  them 
that  she  did  not  care  to  be  molested.  You  cannot  expect 
them  to  have  been  without  curiosity,  for  they  were 
women. 

"  What  is  she  doing  in  there  ?  "  they  would  quiz  the 
chambermaid. 

"  Don't  know,  seems  to  write  or  something.  Guess 
she  left  a  passel  of  sweethearts  behind." 

I  may  as  well  tell  you  what  she  was  doing.  The  little 
silly  had  literary  notions,  and  wished  to  make  some  extra 

20 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

pocket  money  in  that  way.  She  was  trying  to  write  sto- 
ries, but  all  her  copy  was  returned  to  her  as  "unavail- 
able," being  too  void  of  experience  to  be  classed  as  liter- 
ature. 

Mr.  Harmon  again  came  upon  the  little  Nova  Scotian, 
when  she  sat  alone  in  a  hammock  swinging  aimlessly. 
Her  hair  was  in  disorder,  and  her  general  aspect  was 
that  of  one  who  does  not  "give  a  twopenny  damn"  for 
anything.  Perhaps  she  had  forgotten  just  then  that  she 
had  grown  into  a  young  lady  and  was  no  longer  a  little 
girl.  Some  girls  do  that  at  intervals,  till  they  have  had 
years  enough  of  womanhood's  cares  to  establish  a  habit. 
Fred  was  surprised.  She  had  before  this  time  repre- 
sented all  that  was  staid  and  proper  to  him.  He  need 
not  have  been  surprised,  however,  for  in  the  years  that 
should  stretch  before  them,  he  had  yet  to  come  in  contact 
with  many  of  her  moods. 

"  To  what  nationality  might  you  belong,  Miss  Les- 
ton  ?  "  was  the  first  question. 

"  I  might  be  Irish,  but  I  am  not,"  was  her  careless  an- 
swer, still  swinging. 

"  Oh,  really ;  how  disappointing." 

"  Disappointing?  " 

"  Yes,  quite.     I  am  partial  to  the  Irish." 

"  Irish  always  loves  Irish,  but  how  they  do  fight !  If 
I  had  any  Irish  I  would  not  admit  it." 

"  Oh,  you  are  bitter  now,  mere  prejudice.  But  tell  me, 
what  are  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  am  Scotch,  Scotch,  Mr.  Irish ;  do  not  forget 
it."  She  put  her  face  contemptuously  close  to  his.  That 
dainty  perfume  which  always  hung  around  her  was  in 
his  nostrils.  It  was  hard  for  the  man  to  bear. 

21 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Of  course,  I  might  have  known  that  you  are  Scotch." 

"  Scotch  I  am  sir ;  my  father  was  a  poor  fisherman 
who  dwelt  at  Port  Hawkesbury,  and  my  mother  was  a 
bonnie  lassie  living  at  Port  Mulgrave  just  across  the 
Gut  of  Canso  from  father's  port.  They  met  one  day 
when  mother  was  out  with  her  father  on  his  fishing  smack 
on  the  great  Bras  d'  or.  As  soon  as  mother  spied  father 
she  saw  the  love  light  in  his  een.  Soon  after 
this  he  took  to  crossing  the  Gut  of  Canso  daily. 
Sometimes  when  there  was  no  other  way  he 
swam  the  Gut,  and  they  met  at  a  secret  trysting 
place  among  the  rocks  and  cliffs  along  the  shore. 
His  smack  was  wrecked  near  that  treacherous, 
sandy  Isle  of  Sable,  and  he  was  lost.  Mother  died 
grieving  for  him,  soon  after  my  birth.  They  were  both 
born  in  Scotland,  but  I  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia.  I  can 
speak  Scotch  like  a  real  bonnie  lassie. 

She  put  her  face  dangerously  close  to  his  again  and 
asked,  "  Dinna  ye  think  I  can,  Mr.  Irish  ?  "  She  hastened 
on,  without  waiting  for  a  reply ;  "  I  was  reared  by  an 
English  aunt  who  lived  at  Grand  Pre  on  the  basin  of 
Minas." 

"  You  are  Evangeline,  then.  Are  you  now  on  your 
search  for  Gabriel  ?  If  you  are,  I  am  Gabriel." 

"  You  are  too  old  for  Gabriel ;  he  was  young." 

The  bitter  truth  of  his  increasing  years  went  to  the 
man's  heart  like  a  knife.  He  would  gladly  have  given 
all  but  one  year  of  his  life  at  that  moment  if  he  could 
have  been  young  with  this  girl.  But  he  answered  smil- 
ing, "  But  Gabriel  was  old  when  Evangeline  found  him." 

She  saw  his  hurt  look,  and  enjoyed  it  and  felt  for  him 
at  the  same  time,  but  spoke  impetuously :  "  Oh,  Mr.  Har- 

22 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

mon,  I  am  so  homesick,  so  homesick,  so  lonesome  for 
Nova  Scotia.  There  is  no  person  in  all  the  West,  I  be- 
lieve, who  has  ever  been  there.  If  someone  would  only 
talk  about  it  with  me,  even  though  he  only  pretended  to 
have  been  there,  I  think  I  should  continually  seek  his 
society.  But  no,  these  Western  people  know  nothing 
but  Hassayampa." 

Whereupon  Fred  commenced  to  search  through  geo- 
graphies and  to  haunt  the  library,  where  encyclopedias 
were  to  be  found.  Soon  he  knew  the  peninsula  of  Nova 
Scotia  from  end  to  end,  and  could  talk  intelligently  on 
the  subject.  Maybe  his  mining  interests  suffered  a  little 
in  these  days,  but  he  knew  Nova  Scotia,  and  that  proves 
that  Emerson  was  right  when  he  said,  "  For  every  loss 
there  is  a  gain  and  for  every  gain  there  is  a  loss." 

Fred  did  not  realize  that  he  was  making  a  ninny  of  him- 
self to  please  this  girl.  He  was  only  eager  to  have  this 
creature  continually  seek  his  society.  This  she  never 
did.  She  did  not  need  to,  for  he  kept  on  seeking  her. 
Fred  Harmon  was  what  both  men  and  women  call  a 
fine  fellow.  Rather  handsome  he  was,  in  his  broad- 
shouldered  strength,  his  frank  grey  eyes  and  his  well- 
kept  blonde  moustache.  How  plainly  his  high-topped 
boots  of  yellow  leather  bespoke  his  occupation,  and  gave 
to  him  the  flavor  of  the  mountains.  Everybody  knew 
Fred.  He  was  a  mining  man  of  some  repute  in  the  lo- 
cality, and  some  of  his  recent  reports  on  gold  and  copper 
properties  had  brought  good  luck  to  those  who  had  been 
wise  enough  to  take  advantage  of  his  judgment.  His 
name  was  well  known  in  mining  circles  throughout  the 
Territory,  and  it  was  a  common  thing  to  hear  him 
quoted  among  miners  and  prospectors.  He  was  a  man 

23 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  perhaps  thirty-six  years,  but  one  who  showed  no  signs 
of  that  age,  being  of  that  type  which  trouble  does  not 
mar.  A  good  cigar  or  a  cold  bottle  with  a  friend  levelled 
all  the  high  places.  "  Never  cry  for  spilt  milk,"  was 
his  favorite  axiom.  He  was  a  man  who  had  gone 
through  life  with  a  certain  self-assertiveness  which  had 
enabled  him  to  get  about  what  he  wanted,  whether  it  was 
rightfully  his  or  not,  obstacles  not  counting.  Any 
student  of  human  nature  will  know  that  this  is  the  man 
to  follow  his  desires  and  not  the  one  to  conceal  an  emotion 
or  passion. 


24 


CHAPTER  II. 


ONE  evening  in  the  early  part  of  June,  it  was  Harmon's 
good  fortune  to  find  Miss  Leston  alone  again.  After  a 
few  preliminary  remarks  he  mentioned  that  it  was  a  pleas- 
ant stroll  to  Forte  Whipple  or  to  the  Pines. 

"  I  have  been  to  the  Forte,"  she  told  him.  "  Let  us 
walk  to  the  Pines." 

They  loitered  along  in  the  cool  evening,  feeling  satis- 
fied with  life.  They  were  coming  to  the  place  where 
people  began  to  tell  each  other  all  about  themselves.  Myr- 
nie  had  told  Fred  about  her  life  at  previous  meetings 
and,  always  eager  to  learn  more  about  her,  he  had  not 
been  slow  to  ask  questions.  She  had  told  him  that  one 
of  the  faults  her  English  aunt  had  found  with  her 
was  that  she  had  always  preferred  the  society  of  boys 
and  men  to  that  of  girls  or  ladies ;  also  that  she  refused 
to  grow  up  and  become  dignified  as  befitted  a  lady,  but 
seemed  to  cling  always  to  some  of  her  most  childish 
habits.  She  also  recounted  that  once,  when  her  aunt 
took  her  to  a  public  gathering  to  see  the  Governor-general 
and  his  wife,  the  lady  (seeing  the  pretty  child)  had 
wished  to  kiss  her,  but  the  little  girl  exclaimed,  "  Don't 
ikes  to  tiss  womens,  dest  ikes  to  tiss  mens !  "  Of  course, 
the  good-natured  Governor  promptly  kissed  the  child. 

Myrnie  had  learned  little  about  Fred,  except  that  he 

25 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

had  been  reared  in  Ohio,  that  he  had  followed  mining  for 
the  last  ten  years,  and  had  as  yet  not  made  a  great  deal 
of  money,  but  that  recently  his  affairs  were  so  shaping 
themselves  as  to  make  his  holdings  in  certain  copper 
properties  promise  to  be  very  valuable. 

They  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  cliffs,  that 
jut  in  such  abundance  from  the  hillsides  out  west  of  the 
town,  and  sat  down  on  a  huge,  round  boulder.  Silence 
held  them  for  a  time,  as  they  took  in  the  restful  scene. 
Pine  needles  were  falling  all  about  them,  and  that  spicy 
fragrance  of  pine  woods  was  everywhere.  The  sounds 
of  evening  came  up  from  the  village,  and  the  influences 
of  peace  crept  into  both  their  hearts. 

Fred  knew  well  enough  what  he  was  going  to  say, 
but  he  was  in  no  hurry  about  it.  Presently  he  began. 

"  It's  fine  sailing  on  the  Bras  d'  or,  isn't  it?  " 

She  almost  fell  off  the  rock,  but  she  understood  him 
at  once.  That  vivid,  fleeting  blush  came  to  her  face  and 
her  eyes  danced. 

"  Oh,  isn't  it,  though,"  but  she  was  laughing  so  at  the 
fraud  of  the  thing  that  she  could  hardly  speak.  But 
nevertheless,  she  meant  to  perform  her  part  and  went  on. 
"  The  water  is  so  smooth  and  calm." 

"  That  is  because  it  is  a  dear  imprisoned  sea,"  he  told 
her  knowingly. 

"  Oh,  you  dear,"  burst  from  her  in  a  whisper,  and  she 
forgot  herself  and  squeezed  his  arm  with  both  hands, 
but  she  drew  away  quickly,  and  smiling  archly  went  on 
wagging  her  head,  "  It's  pretty  cold  in  winter,  don't  you 
think?" 

"  Yes,  but  you  know  we  never  used  to  mind  that.  We 
were  dressed  for  it.  But  I  have  always  thought  that  the 

26 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Valley  of  Annapolis  was  the  garden  spot  of  Nova  Scotia. 
It  is  mild  and  fine  there,  and  the  scenery  is  so  grand. 
And  the  fruit  and  vegetables  raised  there,  my,  my,  so 
fine.  The  apples  are  famed  for  their  keeping  proper- 
ties. Most  of  them  are  shipped  to  England." 

"  And  do  you  remember  the  salmon  that  come  from  the 
St.  Mary's  River  ? "  she  asked,  enjoying  herself  im- 
mensely. 

"Do  I ?  well  I  should  say  I  do.  And  many's  the  time 
I've  roved  through  those  splendid  forests  of  spruce,  hem- 
lock and  pine.  Good  moose  and  elk  hunting,  but  the  wolf 
is  there  no  more;  poor  Mr.  Wolf  is  extinct.  I  used  to 
love  to  meet  the  Indians  in  those  dense,  mossy  labyrinths, 
the  Micmacs  and  the  Malicites." 

She  laughed  and  gurgled  in  glee;  she  twisted  about, 
being  unable  to  sit  still,  but  she  wished  to  have  him  go  on, 
and  to  draw  him  out  she  continued,  "  Yes,  but  many  of 
the  fine  forests  have  been  removed." 

"That  was  to  satisfy  the  commercial  instincts  of  the 
white  man.  The  tanning  barks  were  too  valuable  to  be 
left  where  they  were,  and  the  great,  hardwood  trees  must 
be  felled  to  build  ships ;  but  they  have  taken  so  many  of 
the  trees  that  shipbuilding  has  declined." 

"  I  love  the  flowers  that  grow  in  the  valleys.  Some 
of  those  varieties  do  not  grow  elsewhere  in  the  world." 

"  Yes,  the  valleys  are  fine  in  their  way,  but  best  of  all 
are  the  lofty  hills  that  surround  the  Basin  of  Minas." 

This  was  more  than  Myrnie  could  endure  silently.  She 
sprang  to  her  feet  and  hopped  about  on  the  top  of  the 
boulder.  Her  glee  was  that  of  a  child.  Fred  sat  con- 
vulsed at  her  juvenile  excitement,  but  presently  went  on, 
"  The  Basin  of  Minas  is  the  most  remarkable  of  the  arms 

27 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  It  extends  inland  sixty  miles  and 
the  tides  rush  in  with  savage  impetuosity,  sometimes  as 
high  as  sixty  feet,  while  in  Halifax  harbor  they  scarcely 
rise  eight  feet." 

Now  she  came  and  sat  so  close  to  him  that  his  arm 
pressed  against  her  soft,  round  bosom.  At  this  he 
thought  it  better  to  change  the  subject,  but  he  knew  that 
he  now  held  the  key  to  unlock  the  dormant  interest  in 
her  mind. 

"  Tell  me  more  about  your  life  in  Nova  Scotia,"  he 
said,  moving  away  from  her. 

"  I  have  told  you  all  about  myself ;  it  is  your  turn  to 
give  me  your  history."  There  was  a  vexed  tone  in  her 
voice,  as  though  she  understood  that  he  had  moved  away 
to  check  her  rush  of  feeling.  How  dare  he  presume  to 
guard  over  her  in  this  way? 

"  Oh,  my  life  has  been  so  plain  that  you  could  scarcely 
call  it  history.  Never  had  any  Governors  kissing  me," 
he  laughingly  threw  at  her.  "  Besides,  you  have  told  me 
very  little  about  your  own  history." 

"Pray,  what  have  I  left  out?  There  was  just  the 
plain  life  of  toil  and  study,  with  a  little  chafing  at  the 
bands  that  bound,  yes,  and  my  ungratified  longing  for 
some  expression  of  myself — music,  art  or  something  fine, 
something  better  than  just  everyday  things." 

"  I  do  not  know  why  you  say  ungratified.  I  can  find 
no  fault  with  your  music ;  I  call  it  excellent." 

"  My  music  is  a  sickly  failure,  falling  all  too  short  of 
my  ideal." 

"  Everything  falls  short  of  ideals  in  this  world,  unless 
it  is  the  grossly  material,  a  good  dinner  or  a  bottle  of 

28 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

champagne.  But  what  of  all  those  sweethearts  and 
broken  hearts  left  behind  in  Nova  Scotia  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Harmon,  you  always  joke  about  everything. 
There  were  no  sweethearts  in  Nova  Scotia." 

"  Come,  come;  it  is  you  who  are  joking  now." 

"  There  were  none,  I  swear,"  she  sighed,  looking  up 
from  the  moss  her  delicate  fingers  were  pulling  from  the 
rock.  "  My  aunt  would  never  allow  me  to  have  that 
kind  of  company.  I  was  too  young,  and  I  had  my  part 
of  the  housework  to  perform.  My  aunt  could  keep  only 
one  servant.  But  they  could  never  make  me  cook.  My 
cousins  practiced  music,  and  could  not  have  their  hands 
spoiled  by  housework.  Most  of  my  musical  efforts  are 
mere  imitations  of  what  they  did  and  that  is  why  I  am 
dissatisfied  with  them.'* 

"  A  Cinderella  you  must  have  been  as  well  as  an 
Evangeline." 

"  Yes,  a  real  one  without  a  fairy  Godmother.  My  aunt 
gave  me  an  education  and  I  am  grateful  for  that." 

"  She  deserves  thanks.  But  I  still  believe  there  must 
have  been  some  schoolgirl  amours.  You  told  me  your- 
self that  your  aunt's  one  great  task  with  you  was  your 
preference  for  the  male  sex." 

"  Yes,  but  I  did  not  want  them  for  sweethearts.  I 
only  like  men  to  talk  to ;  I  like  the  things  they  talk  about. 
Women  will  be  talking  about  the  kitchen,  and  who  is 
sick,  and  such  dull,  small  things.  The  professors  at 
school  were  too  strict.  No  girl  could  have  a  fellow 
unless  she  crept  out  of  windows  at  night,  and  that  is 
too  risky.  They  always  get  caught." 

They  both  laughed  at  this  remark,  and  Fred  contin- 

29 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ued,  "  A  girl  like  you  with  no  lover, — that's  a  miracle." 
However,  he  seemed  highly  elated  over  the  discovery. 

"  But  you, — you  have  had  sweethearts ;  tell  me  of 
them,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  looking  into  her  inquiring  eyes,  "  I 
have  had  many,  but  I  do  not  believe,  that  I  ever  truly 
loved  one  of  them." 

"  Oh,  here  you  are  joking  again,  you  cruel  man." 

"  No,  I  am  not  joking.  I  was  sincere  enough  at  the 
time.  Yes,  I  thought  I  was  sincerely  in  love.  But  I 
want  to  tell  you  that  a  fellow  may  have  imagined  him- 
self madly  in  love  many  times  and  all  at  once,  when  he 
is  past  the  fickle  age,  meet  some  one  who  proves  to  him 
that  he  has  never  before  really  loved." 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  Mr.  Harmon." 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes,  yes,  Miss  Leston,"  firmly. 

"  Then  you  are  a  fickle  flirt,"  she  told  him  frankly. 

"  The  majority  of  men  who  have  not  yet  found  that 
great  love  are  flirts.  I  have  been  looking  for  a  love  all 
my  life  that  would  put  an  end  to  my  desire  to  flirt,  but 
I  know  you  can  not  comprehend  that,"  he  added  apolo- 
getically. 

She  looked  at  him  Wonderingly  and  said,  "  Then  you 
must  believe  in  affinities." 

"  I  think  I  do  believe  in  affinities  now,  although  it  is 
a  theory  I  have  always  poohooed  until  recently.  I  have 
always  argued  that  the  affinity  doctrine  was  an  halluci- 
nation liable  to  find  lodgment  in  the  fanciful  minds  of 
the  very  young.  But  one  changes  his  theories  suddenly 
sometimes." 

"  Affinities  ?  Why,  of  course,  there  are  affinities.  My 
father  and  mother  were  affinities.  I  have  a  whole  lot 

30 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  love  letters  which  they  wrote  after  they  were  married 
that  prove  it."  Her  fine  eyes  wandered  dreamily  over 
the  hills  as  she  continued,  deliberately,  "  And  how  I  have 
wished  to  meet  my  affinity,  but  I  never  have,  and  I  should 
think  a  girl  of  twenty  would  have,  if  she  was  ever  going 
to,  don't  you?" 

He  laughed  good  naturedly  at  her,  shaking  his  head 
as  he  remarked,  "  Perhaps  some  people  do  meet  the  affi- 
nity at  such  an  early  age,  but  it  usually  comes  later  in 
life,  after  they  have  experienced  a  great  deal." 

She  broke  in  abruptly,  her  face  aglow  in  so  venture- 
some a  conversation.  "  I  have  always  heard  that  you 
know  the  person  to  be  your  affinity  the  moment  the  eyes 
meet.  Do  you  think  that  is  true  ?  "  Her  hands  were 
clasped  over  her  breast  tensely  during  these  last  words, 
and  her  eyes  sparkled. 

Fred  Harmon  was  quite  overcome.  How  plainly  her 
words  proclaimed  her  untried  stainlessness.  His  de- 
sire was  to  reach  out  and  take  her  in  his  arms. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  is  necessarily  true  always,"  he 
said,  still  looking  at  her. 

"  Well,  tell  me,  have  you  ever  met  a  person  whom 
you  thought  was  your  affinity  ?  " 

"  I  have  met  one  whom  I  know  is  my  affinity,"  he  said 
firmly,  knowing  that  he  was  all  kinds  of  a  fool  the 
minute  the  speech  was  uttered. 

"  Oh,  please  do  tell  me  about  her."  But  his  ardent 
gaze  feasting  upon  her  face,  as  it  were,  with  softened 
eyes,  caused  her  to  look  down  quickly,  and  she  blushed 
that  same  vivid,  fleeting  blush.  Fred  for  a  moment  sat 
motionless,  while  he  looked  at  her.  He  then  turned  and 
gazed  dejectedly  down  the  canon. 

31 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  No,  I  will  tell  you  of  a  girl  whom  I  once  thought  I 
loved,  but  found  my  mistake  too  late." 

She  dropped  the  twisted  moss  and  drew  a  quick  breath, 
sitting  erect,  expectant. 

"  It  was  in  Ohio,  fifteen  years  ago."  He  changed  his 
position  and  continued,  "  I  was  a  young  fellow  then,  and 
more  thoughtless  and  impulsive  than  I  am  now.  I  was 
reckless,  spending  my  money  and  getting  into  scrapes. 
My  father  urged  me  to  marry.  '  Marry  some  nice  girl 
and  settle  down/  he  kept  saying  to  me.  My  father  be- 
lieved in  early  marriages,  simply  because  his  marriage 
had  been  an  early  and  a  successful  one.  At  that  time 
he  wanted  a  partner  in  a  wholesale  lumber  business  and, 
naturally  wishing  to  give  me  a  start,  told  me  that  if  I 
would  settle,  or  in  other  words  marry,  he  would  give  me 
a  half  interest  in  the  business.  I  did  not  think  much  of 
his  offer,  because  I  did  not  care  to  marry,  not  knowing 
at  that  time  a  girl  whom  I  could  love  as  a  wife.  But 
father  kept  at  me  with  his  talk  of  marriage,  telling  me  of 
all  the  advantages  over  and  over,  till  I  commenced  to  see 
things  his  way.  I  had  always  placed  great  faith  in  my 
father's  judgment.  Soon  I  met  a  rather  nice  little  girl 
of  about  my  own  age.  She  was  engaged  to  be  married 
to  a  fellow  who  was  no  friend  of  mine ;  in  fact,  we  were 
rivals  in  more  ways  than  one.  Tom  Mason  was  his 
name.  I  went  in  for  Tom's  girl  just  for  pure  cussed- 
ness,  and  was  much  elated  to  find  that  I  was  making  some 
headway  in  the  affair.  In  course  of  time,  I  saw  that 
she  preferred  me  to  my  rival,  and  since  it  was  cutting 
him  up  so  badly,  I  carried  things  to  a  successful  finish. 
After  a  very  short  courtship  we  were  married,  on  the 
same  day  set  for  her  marriage  to  his  Nibs." 

32 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Fred  glanced  at  Myrnie  occasionally  during  his  nar- 
rative. She  had  been  listening  breathlessly,  till  he  said, 
'  We  were  married,'  then  she  paled,  flushed  and  crushed 
the  moss  between  her  fingers. 

"  She  was  not  my  affinity,"  he  continued,  in  an  altered 
voice.  "  And  after  a  month  of  married  life  I  found  my 
mistake  was  a  very  great  one.  I  did  not  love  her.  It 
had  been  but  the  spirit  of  conquest  that  led  me  to  win 
and  marry  her.  She  seemed  to  care  enough  for  me.  The 
other  fellow  left  the  country  utterly  heart-broken.  He 
died  a  year  or  two  afterwards.  But  I  think  I  have  been 
the  unlucky  man  of  the  two.  I  decided  to  cover  my  mis- 
take and  to  live  it  down.  I  respected  my  wife.  I  went 
into  business  with  father  and  made  money,  and  they  all 
thought  me  happy.  Father  thought  he  had  done  me  a 
good  turn,  but  I  am  glad  he  never  knew  what  it  cost 
me." 

"  That's  all  right,  Mr.  Harmon.  You  need  not  con- 
fide in  me  further.  Just  keep  the  remainder  of  your 
story  to  yourself."  The  girl's  face  was  very  decided.  A 
forbidding  frown  passed  over  her  features,  an  injured 
look  through  and  through.  Something  of  a  sneer 
marred  her  usually  serene  expression. 

"  Why  are  you  offended  ?  "  he  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  this  before?  " 

"  I  am  telling  you  now." 

"Well,  that  is  all  right,  then.  Only— see,  it  grows 
late.  The  pine  tree's  shadows  lay  far  ahead  of  us. 
There,  the  sun  is  gone." 

"  But  this  is  the  best  part  of  the  day.  Let  us  wait 
awhile." 

"  I  prefer  to  go  now.  It  is  growing  chilly."  Her 

33 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

voice  was  certainly  chilly,  and  so  conclusive  that  he 
argued  no  further,  but  helped  her  down  from  the  high 
rock  in  silence.  He  rather  followed  her  home  than  ac- 
companied her.  She  walked  a  little  in  advance  of  him, 
as  if  to  say,  "  I  could  easily  go  home  alone."  Even  his 
remark  that  this  reminded  him  of  evenings  he  had  spent 
in  dear  old  Nova  Scotia,  only  sent  her  head  higher  into 
the  air,  as  she  smiled  coldly. 

She  did  not  bid  him  a  very  cordial  good-night  at  the 
head  of  the  stair,  and  once  inside  her  room,  she  tore  her 
things  off  carelessly  and  went  to  bed  early,  feeling  that 
the  world  was  pretty  much  of  a  sham.  "  He  is  just  a  big 
cheat.  I  will  let  him  entirely  alone." 

Fred  Harmon  did  not  retire  early.  He  went  out  and 
strolled  about  the  town,  wandering  from  place  to  place, 
but  every  scene  was  distasteful  to  him.  He  heard  the 
voluminous  tones  of  the  girls  singing  in  the  saloons 
along  Whiskey  Row,  passed  by  their  doors  and  saw  these 
women  in  evening  gowns  leading  men  to  the  bar  and 
enticing  them  to  drink.  Harmon  had  often  entered  these 
places  to  hear  these  women  sing.  The  majority  of  them 
possessed  good  voices,  being  as  they  mostly  were,  girls 
from  Eastern  homes,  who,  having  gone  astray,  had  wan- 
dered West,  and  finding  seven  dollars  a  night  an  induce- 
ment, had  taken  these  positions  in  saloons  to  earn  a  live- 
lihood. Beautiful  girls,  some  of  them,  filling  the  homes 
of  some  of  Arizona's  rich  men  to-day. 

But  the  saloon  singer  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  Women 
were  scarce  in  those  days.  I  remember  one  of  those 
singers  who  went  by  the  name  of  Dimples,  who  was  as 
pretty  as  a  pansy.  She  married  a  wealthy  doctor.  An- 
other, called  Bronco  Nell,  married  a  man  who  afterwards 

34 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

became  Governor  of  the  Territory.  Much  as  you  may 
be  surprised,  they  made  good  wives. 

But  Fred  did  not  enter  these  places  to-night.  His  soul 
turned  sick  at  the  sight  of  a  woman  intoxicated,  each 
arm  around  the  neck  of  a  man.  Heretofore,  he  had  only 
shrugged  his  shoulders  at  this  condition  of  Western  life, 
with  a  muttered  thought.  "  Takes  all  kinds  of  people  to 
make  a  world,"  but  his  ideals  were  very  high  to-night. 
He  went  into  an  ice  cream  parlor  and  met  a  group  of 
mining  men  who  insisted  that  he  come  back  to  the  hotel 
and  play  a  game  of  solo.  They  played  till  past  midnight. 
Harmon  lost  heavily;  Fate  was  against  him. 

Next  morning,  when  he  tried  to  converse  with  Myrnie, 
she  only  answered  him  in  monosyllables  and  left  him. 
For  several  days  she  eluded  him,  dividing  her  time  pretty 
evenly  between  Kelly  and  Joe  Mower.  He  wrote  her  a 
polite  note,  asking  the  privilege  of  explaining  further, 
suggesting  that  he  thought  an  explanation  would  benefit 
them  both,  and  asking  her  to  drive  with  him  that  evening. 
But  she  sent  him  word  that  she  had  another  and  a  pre- 
vious engagement  for  the  evening,  that  she  was  going 
out  with  Mr.  Kelly.  Now,  Kelly  did  not  know  that  she 
had  an  engagement  with  him  for  that  evening.  She  had 
not  replied  to  the  invitation  he  had  given  her  the  day 
before,  She  now  went  to  him  and  told  him  that  she 
could  go. 

After  they  had  ridden  for  an  hour,  discussing  a  great 
many  light  subjects,  there  being  no  one  topic  common 
to  them,  Kelly  ventured  upon  that  which  had  lain  next 
his  heart  all  the  evening. 

"  There  is  one  little  fact  I  would  like  to  put  you  wise 
to,  Miss  Leston,  if  you  will  pardon  the  seeming  cheek." 

35 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Why,  certainly ;  what  is  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  it's  that  gent,  Mr.  Harmon.  Guess  he  is  a 
decent  sort  of  chap,  all  right,  but  still  I  do  not  believe 
you  are  next  to  him  on  every  proposition.  Joe  was  tell- 
ing me  last  week  that  one  of  us  ought  to  put  you  next. 
We  both  hated  to  chip  in,  as  second-hand  goods  of  that 
kind  are  not  always  the  real  thing,  but  I  told  Joe  that  for 
your  sake  I'd  brace  up  this  evening  and  give  you  a  little 
nudge.  I  know  he  has  a  smooth  tongue  and  can  give 
slick  dope,  but  I  don't  think  he  has  come  out  flat-footed 
with  you  on  every  proposition." 

"  Indeed  he  has,  Mr.  Kelly,"  tossing  her  head  inde- 
pendently, her  color  rising,  "  He,  he — really  he  has  told 
me  everything,  there  is  a  perfect  understanding  between 
us." 

"  Oh,  he  was  white  enough  to  do  the  clean  thing  was 
he?  Well,  I  notice  that  you  have  cut  him  out  of  late." 

"  No,  he  has  been  busy  of  evenings,  but  we  are  the  best 
of  friends,  and  I  am  going  out  with  him  to-morrow." 

"  The  hell  you  say !  No,  excuse  me  miss,  I  used  the 
wrong  word.  But  you  see — you  see — well  it  is  like 
this—" 

The  girl  was  laughing  merrily  at  his  confusion,  and  as- 
sured him  that  she  was  not  offended. 

"Well,  you  see  when  a  girl  like  you  hits  the  burg, 
fellows  like  Joe  and  I  feel  that  we  ought  to  have  a  show 
for  the  white  alley,  and  we  sure  do  get  wrathy  when  an 
old  codger  like  Harmon  gets  in  his  work." 
"  I  should  not  call  Mr.  Harmon  so  old." 
"  No,  only  about  old  enough  to  be  an  ancestor  of  yours. 
But,  of  course,  if  he  has  explained  himself,  and  you  still 

36 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

think  he  is  O.  K.,  I  guess  we  may  as  well  change  our 
chewing/' 

"  I  see  no  necessity  of  discussing  this  question  fur- 
ther," was  her  tart  reply. 

Kelly  saw  his  finish,  as  he  told  Joe  that  night.  "  No 
show  for  us.  We  may  as  well  vamoose  the  ranch.  I 
sure  barked  up  the  wrong  tree  this  time.  She's  plumb 
salomed  on  the  old  guy.  Gee,  but  she  flew  off  the  han- 
dle something  fierce ;  thought  I  was  giving  her  a  con  game 
I  guess.  She  sure  handed  me  a  bunch." 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  the  old  boy  disguised  in  liquor, 
Kelly  ?  Go  at  her  with  that.  Maybe  you  can  make  that 
stick/' 

"  No,  siree.  I  don't  want  to  see  her  dander  up 
again.  It's  too  dangerous,  besides  I  do  not  think  he  hits 
booze  much.  I've  seen  him  with  a  small  skate  on ;  guess 
he  gets  pretty  well  teed  sometimes,  but  I  am  sure  he  is 
not  the  kind  that  gets  paralyzed." 

"  But  she's  sure  a  swell  proposition,"  Joe  lamented. 

"  Yes,  and  when  I  think  of  him  being  the  whole  cheese 
with  her  I'd  like  to  knock  his  damn  block  off.  But  I 
guess  we  will  have  to  face  the  music;  say  one  word 
against  him  to  her  and  she  sure  bawls  you  out  proper." 

After  this  drive  with  Kelly,  Myrnie  hurriedly  wrote  a 
letter  and  instructed  the  bell  boy  to  give  it  to  Harmon 
upon  the  first  opportunity.  Fred  Harmon's  hand  shook 
nervously  as  he  read, 

"  Dear  Mr.  Harmon : 

I  shall  be  pleased  to  have  you  explain  those  things  of 
which  you  spoke  in  your  last  communication,  and  for  that 

37 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

purpose  will  accompany  you  upon  any  excursion  you  may 
plan  for  to-morrow  afternoon. 

Sincerely, 

Myrnie  Leston." 

Harmon  was  knocking  at  her  door  in  a  few  minutes. 
She  was  a  little  frustrated  and  surprised  when  she  opened 
the  door. 

"  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  pleasure  this  has  given 
me,"  still  holding  the  note  paper  in  his  hand.  "  I  wish 
to  take  you  to  a  favorite  spot  of  mine.  It  is  five  miles 
from  town,  and  we  can  easily  go  after  dinner  to-morrow ; 
makes  a  fine  drive." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted,"  was  her  smiling  reply. 

Harmon  was  not  so  comfortable  over  this  success  as 
one  might  suppose.  He  dreaded  to  lay  before  the  eyes 
of  this  unsophisticated  girl  that  which  it  was  his  duty 
to  tell  her,  since  the  simple  statement  of  an  early  mar- 
riage had  so  upset  her. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  next  day  was  Sunday — such  as  we  remember 
long  afterward.  It  seemed  to  start  right  with  everybody. 
People  sprang  from  their  beds  on  the  moment  of  awaken- 
ing, deliciously  refreshed  from  a  night  of  restful  sleep, 
ran  their  fingers  through  their  hair,  and  rubbed  the 
drowsiness  from  their  eyes,  while  they  luxuriated  in  the 
invigorating  ozone  with  which  they  filled  their  lungs  as 
it  crowded  into  rooms  through  open  windows;  enjoyed 
the  bite  in  the  morning  air  as  they  bathed  in  sparkling, 
cold  water  and  thanked  their  Creator  that  they  were  alive. 
Those  who  seldom  gave  a  thought  to  nature,  in  her  var- 
ious forms  of  wonder,  marveled  at  the  glorious  sun,  as 
he  peeped  all  golden  and  fiery  through  the  green  of 
eastern  pines,  smiled  at  the  flowers,  few  as  they  were, 
if  any  chanced  to  grow  by  their  windows,  and  listened 
with  rapture  to  the  music  of  the  lark,  that  world-wide 
songster ;  dressed  themselves  in  their  most  becoming  gar- 
ments and  sallied  forth,  bent  on  helping  to  make  a  West- 
ern holiday,  for  at  that  time  Sunday  in  Prescott  was 
observed  as  little  else  by  the  majority  of  its  people. 

There  were  churches  in  Prescott,  and  they  were  all 
well  enough  filled.  But  do  people  go  to  church  to  wor- 
ship God  ?  Some  people  go  to  church  to  learn  to  worship 
God,  but  few  really  worship  there.  God  is  worshipped 

39 


In  the  Land  of  Exiremes. 

in  the  deeps  of  the  secret  soul.  Everybody  worships 
God,  but  they  do  not  all  know  it.  The  Western  cowboy, 
the  least  religious  soul  in  the  world  you  say,  worships 
him,  but  he  does  it  inside  no  cathedral  walls.  He  wor- 
ships in  the  open  air  of  the  great  plains,  when  his  soul 
is  lifted  up  by  that  lofty  sense  of  happiness  which  comes 
to  him  in  his  life  of  unbounded  freedom.  He  knows  it, 
but  his  reticence  prevents  his  confession  to  his  taciturn 
comrades. 

Every  living  creature  worships  God;  the  fowls  of  the 
air,  the  fish  of  the  sea,  the  beasts  of  the  field;  God  is 
universal.  Is  not  the  fulfilling  of  His  purpose  worship 
of  Him  ?  Oh,  narrow  thoughted  man,  who  falls  upon  his 
knees,  muttering  lip-service,  'tis  he  alone,  indeed,  who 
worships  God. 

Myrnie  Leston  also  caught  the  spirit  of  the  day,  and 
came  forth  her  brightest.  She  was  a  little  curious  to 
know  the  result  of  the  afternoon  drive.  Still,  she  had 
enjoyed  other  like  excursions  among  the  rocky  hills  on 
fine,  clear  days,  and  knew  already  the  perfect  abandon- 
ment of  the  natural  self  known  only  to  the  Westerner; 
she  knew  the  exhilarating  pleasure  which  ensues  when 
hour  after  hour  goes  by,  and  it  is  difficult  to  decide  which 
is  uppermost,  the  spirit  or  the  flesh ;  when  care  is  thrown 
to  the  winds  and  the  memory  of  childhood  comes  back 
with  a  force  that  brings  one  almost  to  tears.  She  was 
impatient  for  the  hour  to  arrive  and  grew  restless.  She 
wondered  if  this  spot  out  in  the  hills  would  not  be  a 
little  like  Nova  Scotia.  She  closed  her  eyes  and  sat 
dreaming.  Before  she  knew  it,  Fred  had  arrived  and 
was  telling  her  that  it  was  time  to  go. 

He  had  not  been  so  eager  for  the  hour  to  come.  His 

40 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

nerves  were  tense,  and  when  the  time  drew  near  he 
wished  it  hours  away,  that  he  might  still  speculate  on  the 
joys  to  come,  without  experiencing  the  consequences 
which  he  feared.  Neither  was  he  unaware  of  the  extra- 
ordinary charms  of  this  particular  day,  but  to  him  it 
meant  more  than  mere  beauty.  To  his  mind,  all  this 
harmory  pointed  to  the  dual  nature  in  the  entity  of  crea- 
tion which  causes  a  plant  to  spring  from  its  seed,  to 
bud,  bloom  and  bear  fruit;  which  causes  a  bird  to  sing 
so  joyously  to  his  mate  in  springtime,  or  which  makes  the 
heart  of  man  to  beat  so  violently  at  the  thought  of  a 
maiden.  And  all  this  for  the  one  subtle  purpose.  Na- 
ture has  her  axe  to  grind  and  her  device  is  alluring  in  the 
extreme.  "  Go  forth,  multiply  and  replenish  the  earth," 
is  the  Supreme  command. 

As  Fred  had  gone  about  during  the  forenoon,  the  bur- 
den of  his  thought  had  expressed  itself  thus :  "  Oh,  the 
sky  is  so  blue  and  the  grass  is  so  green.  Why  is  one 
green  and  the  other  blue,  and  how  can  the  birds  sing  so  ? 
Sing  on,  birds,  and  express  for  me  that  which  I  can  find 
no  voice  to  speak."  But  before  he  realized  it,  he  had 
been  driving  for  some  time,  the  lines  actually  in  his 
hands  and  the  girl  beside  him.  How  wonderfully  trans- 
formed we  become  when  we  are  picked  up  by  love  and 
carried  up  among  the  clouds.  Why  try  to  prevent  or 
curb  the  course  of  love?  It  is  a  raging  flood  which 
carries  everything  along  by  a  resistless  power. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  Fred  could  find  anything  to 
say,  and  Myrnie  remained  silent  from  choice.  After  a 
mile  or  two  of  silence,  except  the  remarks  he  addressed 
to  the  horse,  he  managed  to  speak. 

"  Isn't  it  just  a  charming  day?  " 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  It  is." 

After  another  mile  or  two  of  muteness,  he  resumed. 

"  I  think  June  is  the  most  charming  month  in  Pres- 
cott;  earlier,  it  is  a  little  raw,  and  later,  too  warm;  but 
at  this  particular  time  of  the  year  the  air  is  balmy  and 
most  refreshing.  The  hills  are  covered  with  their  best 
flowers  now.  The  wild  orchids  must  be  in  bloom  where 
we  are  going.  I  passed  there  a  week  ago  and  a  great 
many  were  budded.  There  are  some  large  trees  there, 
near  a  bluff  of  rocks,  and  the  place  is  damp  and  shady. 
Rare  flowers  seek  secluded  places,  you  know.  Not  far 
from  Lynx  Creek,  now  this  is  the  Lynx  Creek  road.  It 
is  not  wonderful  that  Arizona  produces  a  greater  variety 
of  flora  than  other  sections  of  the  Union,  because  there 
are  so  many  different  climates  in  the  Territory.  There 
are  four  hundred  distinct  species  of  grass  within  our 
borders,  I  am  told."  But  when  he  found  that  botany, 
which  he  knew  to  be  one  of  her  favorite  topics,  did  not 
make  her  communicative,  he  tried  a  different  method. 

"  I  have  noticed,  though,  that  the  flowers  in  this  dry 
climate  lack  the  fragrance  of  those  in  dear,  old  Nova 
Scotia." 

She  laughed  out  merrily,  and  seemed  in  the  best  of 
humor  as  they  again  carried  on  a  lively,  farce  argument 
about  this  land  of  which  she  was  always  dreaming. 

"  I  thought,  Mr.  Harmon,  that  you  had  something  to 
explain  to  me,"  she  said. 

He  almost  dropped  the  lines.  "  Yes,  yes,  but  this  road 
is  bad,  and  this  pesky  horse  takes  all  my  time  now.  He 
is  as  hard-mouthed  as  sin.  I  was  going  to  tell  you  more 
about  the  place  where  we  are  going.  It  is  quite  an  oasis, 
one  might  say,  for  this  country.  A  little  lake  fills  a 

42 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

hollow  up,  till  the  first  of  July,  and  the  lake  is  actually 
fringed  about  with  young  fir  trees  and  brake.  A  round 
knoll  overlooks  the  lake,  and  one  might  almost  think  he 
was  among  the  lakes  of  Nova  Scotia.  We  shall  soon  be 
there  now.  Nice  grass  to  sit  on,  fine  place  to  come  to 
understandings,"  he  answered  nervously. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  place  described,  Myrnie  was 
lifted  from  the  buggy,  and  the  horse  was  allowed  to 
graze.  All  coldness  and  reserve  were  instantly  banished, 
so  great  was  the  girl's  delight  in  the  freshness  and  beauty 
of  the  place.  Fred  stood  by  and  watched  her  every 
pleased  motion  and  expression.  They  walked  to  the  knoll 
and  sat  down  on  the  grass,  their  faces  toward  the  water. 

"  You  seemed  rather  disconcerted  the  other  day,"  he 
began  after  a  while,"  when  I  told  you  that  I  married  the 
woman  I  was  telling  you  about." 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  without  hesitation,  "  It  seemed 
strange  to  me  that  we  had  known  each  other  these  several 
weeks,  we  had  been  out  together  so  often,  and  you  had 
told  me  nothing  about  it.  Besides  there  was  all  your  talk 
about  your  life  being  too  plain  to  be  called  history.  But 
perhaps  it  does  not  matter — perhaps  it  is  the  way  of 
men.  Say  no  more  about  it — it  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 
I  am  a  bit  unused  to  Western  ways  as  yet,  and  many  little 
things  like  that  have  upset  me  since  I  came  out  here." 

"  There  is  nothing  particularly  Western  about  this 
affair.  You  evidently  are  utterly  unacquainted  with  the 
world." 

"  I  think  I  am  learning  pretty  fast  in  Arizona,"  she  re- 
torted, warmly. 

"  In  ten  years  from  now  you  will  look  at  life  from  a 

43 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

different  viewpoint  and  will  not  think  of  taking  exception 
to  such  a  trifle." 

"  I  hope  never  to  reach  such  a  callous  mental  state, 
and  I  do  not  see  that  the  years  necessarily  bring  it,"  she 
said  in  the  same  voice.  "  My  aunt  in  Nova  Scotia  is 
more  than  ten  years  my  senior  and  she  thinks  such  things 
are  perfectly  terrible." 

Again  they  sat  for  a  time  without  speaking,  Myrnie 
wearing  a  serene,  exalted  expression,  Fred  the  picture 
of  dire  discontent.  But  still  he  had  something  to  be 
thankful  for — he  did  not  know  her  aunt  in  Nova  Scotia. 

"I  suppose,  that  is,  well— the  lady  died?"  She  al- 
most whispered  the  last  few  words,  a  red  spot  burning  in 
each  cheek. 

He  shook  his  head  three  or  four  times  as  though 
scarcely  conscious  of  what  he  did.  He  had  grown  pale. 
An  awkward  embarrassment  took  possession  of  them 
both ;  presently,  he  faced  her,  and  spoke  in  resolute  tones, 

"  No,  she  did  not  die,  and  there  is  no  divorce.  The 
lady  lives  in  Phoenix,  and  is  known  to  the  world  as  my 
wife.  I  seldom  go  there,  except  to  see  Wallace,  my  little 
son." 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  changes  of  expres- 
sion on  the  face  of  Myrnie,  as  she  listened  to  these  coldly 
uttered  words;  utter  incredulity,  pity,  resentment,  pride, 
anger.  Then  she  sat  staring  at  him  with  a  hurt,  appeal- 
ing face. 

"  Oh,  I  know  you  think  I  am  a  brute,"  he  said  with  a 
little  ironical  laugh,  "  Perhaps  I  have  not  been  exactly 
fair,  but  when  you  have  heard  all,  I  am  sure  you  will 
find  forgiveness  in  your  heart  for  me." 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  hear  all.  Say  no  more  about  it," 

44 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

she  finally  stammered.  "  Let  us  gather  some  of  the 
orchids  and  go  home.  I  do  not  care  about  your  affair. 
That  is  your  secret,  and  why  should  I  embarrass  you  by 
prying  into  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  spoke  very  firmly,  "  I  want  you  to  hear.  I 
brought  you  here  to  give  you  a  full  explanation,  and  I 
must  beg  you  to  listen.  I  tried  to  tell  you  before,  but 
you  would  not  listen.  I  mean  *o  tell  you  the  whole  story 
now."  He  was  looking  squarely  at  her. 

"  But  why  should  you  tell  me  ?  This  does  not  concern 
me  at  all.  I  refuse  to  listen." 

"  You  are  unjust  to  me,  unless  you  listen.  The  part 
of  my  story  which  you  have  heard  puts  me  in  a  false 
light." 

"  But,  Mr.  Harmon,  we  have  had  a  pleasant  enough 
friendship.  No  harm  has  come  of  it,  but  let  this  be  an 
end  of  it.  I  now  wish  to  return  to  Prescott.  Will  you 
take  me  there  ? "  She  used  a  casual,  indifferent  tone, 
which  seemed  to  madden  him. 

"  After  a  few  minutes'  conversation,  yes." 

"  Then  I  shall  walk."  And,  springing  up  quickly,  she 
went  to  the  road,  swinging  her  body  independently,  her 
head  in  the  air. 

Fred  sat  and  watched  her.  He  could  not  help  laughing 
to  himself  at  her  helpless  independence.  He  went  to  her 
and  stood  in  front  of  her,  smiling. 

"  This  road  does  not  go  to  Prescott.  It  leads  off  among 
those  mountains  and  black  canons.  You  are  going  in  a 
wrong  direction.  Don't  you  see  that  you  would  be  lost 
out  here  in  the  mountains,  if  you  started  home  alone? 
The  mountain  lions  would  eat  you  sure." 

Notwithstanding  the  tenseness  of  the  moment  they 

45 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

both  laughed;  and  that  made  them  seem  less  like  stran- 
gers. She  gave  up  the  idea  of  walking  the  five  miles 
through  the  beast-infested  mountains,  and  very  reluc- 
tantly suffered  herself  to  be  led  back  to  the  lake,  where 
they  seated  themselves  again. 

"  I  told  you  before/'  launching  into  his  story  with- 
out spirit,  "  that  my  father  urged  me  to  marry  the  girl, 
and  brought  every  influence  to  bear  on  that  one  thing, 
and  that  I  did  not  love  her.  Her  mother  wisely  tried 
to  discourage  the  union,  telling  me  that  her  daughter 
was  unhealthy,  always  had  been  and  always  should  be, 
as  she  firmly  believed;  but  I  was  thoughtless,  and  did 
not  realize  that  marriage  is  for  a  lifetime.  Few  young 
people  ever  do  think  of  such  things.  But  I  have  been 
duly  recompensed  for  my  thoughtlessness.  She  has  been 
an  invalid  since  Wallace  was  born,  and  bound  to  her  bed 
most  of  the  time.  I  am  sure  the  woman  has  suffered. 
She  has  never  cared  for  another  man,  little  as  she  has 
cared  for  me." 

The  girl  sat  so  still,  with  such  a  passive,  expressionless 
face,  the  narrator  could  not  warm  to  his  story.  He  was 
not  sure  that  she  was  listening  to  him.  Never  a  word, 
a  sigh  or  a  glance  cast  in  his  direction. 

"  I  have  devoted  my  entire  time  to  her  comfort,"  he 
plunged  on  with  bull-dog  tenacity.  "  She  has  lacked 
nothing,  and  it  has  taken  all  I  have  made.  She  has  had 
her  nurse  constantly  by  her  side,  and  has  gone  from 
climate  to  climate,  seeking  ease  and  comfort.  On  ac- 
count of  her  nervous  condition,  she  has  been  most  peev- 
ish and  impossible  to  please.  She  worships  Wallace,  and 
never  denies  him  a  wish.  I  see  him  becoming  dreadfully 
spoiled,  but  I  dare  not  say  one  word.  She  never  gives 

46 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

me  a  civil  word  or  look,  and  often  I  feel  sure  that  she 
hates  me.  I  do  not  mean  to  complain.  No  doubt  this 
is  what  I  deserve.  We  usually  do  get  what  we  deserve 
in  this  world,  but  does  it  not  seem  that  I  have  paid  the 
utmost  farthing  for  a  boy's  folly?  I  go  to  her  when 
she  calls  me,  or  when  it  is  necessary,  but  I  have  tried 
to  keep  my  unhappy  mistake  from  her,  and  from  the 
world.  You  are  the  only  person  I  have  ever  told.  There 
would  be  no  kindness  in  telling  her." 

"  And  so  you  have  deceived  her,"  Myrnie  said  quietly. 

"  It  would  have  been  wrong  to  worry  her  with  my 
troubles,  and  since  I  never  cared  for  any  one  else,  it  was 
not  deceiving  her." 

"  Oh,  excuse  me.  I  misunderstood  you.  I  thought 
you  said  you  had  met  your  affinity."  She  was  smiling 
a  mean  little  smile. 

"  I  did  say  that.  But  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  sacri- 
fice the  affinity,"  he  answered  wearily. 

"  Your  child  deserves  some  consideration,  I  should 
think." 

"  He  is  the  only  one  who  makes  life  bearable  for  me. 
I  love  the  little  fellow  with  all  the  strength  of  my  being." 

"  Fatherly  feeling,  of  course." 

"  Well,"  he  raised  his  voice  as  though  in  anger,  "  A 
man  wants  more  than  that — a  man  in  his  full  strength 
and  vigor.  He  wants  love,  love  reciprocated."  Her 
mocking  laugh  rang  out  like  a  clear  bell.  He  did  not 
note  the  nervous  tremor  in  it. 

"  Do  I  deserve  no  credit,  no  sympathy  for  the  part  I 
have  been  forced  to  play  ?  "  he  asked,  in  the  same  voice. 

"  Oh,  it  bees  sympathy  yez  bees  lookin'  afther  ?  "  This 
time  her  laugh  was  more  nervous,  as  she  went  on,  "  I 

47 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

think  your  wife  deserves  all  the  sympathy,  all  the  pity 
and  credit,"  looking  him  fearlessly  in  the  face. 

"  Oh,  you  do?     I  might  have  expected  that  from  you." 

He  looked  into  the  lake  despondently.  When  he 
turned  toward  her  again,  he  saw  that  tears  were  in  her 
eyes.  There  was  no  change  in  her  expression,  no  draw- 
ing of  any  of  the  muscles  about  her  mouth.  It  still  kept 
its  calm,  serene  outline,  but  the  tears  coursed  down  her 
cheeks  in  numbers  and  fell  on  her  hands  and  lap.  Fred 
had  never  seen  a  woman  crying  thus ;  he  was  used  to  the 
kind  that  make  a  great  whining  and  thrashing  around. 
The  sight  of  tears  falling  silently  unmanned  him.  He 
lay  his  face  down  on  the  grass  and  struggled  hard  with 
himself.  He  felt  that  he  was  a  mean,  cruel  wretch.  But 
when  he  looked  at  her  again  there  were  no  tears.  The 
face  was  tranquil  and  collected.  He  put  up  a  hand  and 
touched  her  very  gently,  as  if  to  ascertain  if  she  were 
human. 

After  a  little,  they  arose  and  with  a  common  impulse, 
went  to  where  the  orchids  grew  in  large  numbers  in  the 
cool,  mossy  places,  protected  from  the  sun's  strong  rays. 
Myrnie  danced  with  childish  joy,  as  she  gathered  her 
arms  full  of  them,  so  great  was  her  delight  in  the  deli- 
cate, moccasin-like  flowers,  commonly  known  as  the 
"  lady-slipper/' 

The  distance  back  to  town  was  travelled  almost  in 
silence-  Fred  was  completely  absorbed  in  his  own  dark 
reflections.  Myrnie  looked  straight  ahead,  occasionally 
holding  the  flowers  to  her  face.  When  they  had  traveled 
about  half  the  distance,  Fred  brought  himself  to  say, 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  I  wish  you  would  accept  from 
me,  Miss  Leston;  it  is  this  bit  of  advice.  You  do  not 

48 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

know  this  Western  country  well.  It  is  so  different  from 
Nova  Scotia.  There  are  many  dangers  here  for  a  girl 
like  you.  I  shudder  to  think  of  your  being  here  alone, 
and  you  go  about,  with  this  one  and  that  one,  in  a  most 
promiscuous  way."  , 

"  I  want  experience,  I  crave  it.  I  want  almost  tragedy, 
it  seems  to  awaken  something  that  seems  to  slumber  with- 
in me/'  She  spoke  excitedly. 

"  That  desire  is  a  very,  very  wrong  one.  It  is  a 
great  mistake,  and  is  liable  to  lead  you  into  a  lot  of 
trouble.  You  need  some  older  person  to  guide  you.  This 
desire  of  yours  is  simply  a  desire  for  self  development, 
and  is  all  right,  but  the  development  of  an  intense  nature 
like  yours  ought  to  be  very  carefully  guided." 

Never  before  had  he  wanted  her  so  much  as  now. 
Her  speech  proved  what  he  had  thought.  She  had  feel- 
ing, passion,  poetry,  gentleness  and  self  honesty. 

She  paused  before  replying.  "Don't  you  think,  Mr. 
Harmon,  that  I  am  pretty  capable  of  taking  care  of  my- 
self?" 

He  flinched  a  little  at  the  words,  but  continued  speak- 
ing, "  I  am  sure  your  intentions  are  pure  and  good.  No 
one  could  know  that  better  than  I  do,  you  have  always 
been  closely  protected,  and  never  put  on  your  own  respon- 
sibility before." 

"  But  I  wanted  to  get  away  by  myself,  where  I  could 
live  my  own  life  on  my  own  lines.  My  relatives  always 
held  me  down,  and  would  not  let  me  discover  anything." 

Fred  laughed,  and  putting  his  hand  under  her  chin 
said,  "  Oh,  you  little  chick." 

"  Don't,"  she  said,  drawing  away  angrily. 

49 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

He  sobered  quickly  and  asked,  "  Then  you  do  not  real- 
ize that  you  need  some  one  by  you  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  one  at  hand  and  I  must  go  alone,"  was 
her  curt  reply. 

"  I  wish  you  would  look  upon  me  as  that  person.  And 
remember  that  you  can  come  to  me  at  any  time,  and  with 
anything,  and  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  aid  you."  Fred's 
voice  was  tender  and  fatherly.  Her  reply  was  unex- 
pected. 

"  Thank  you,  but,  but — but  Mr.  Harmon,  I  do  not 
think  you  are  a  very  nice  man." 

"  No  ?  "  This  one  word  choked  him  so  that  he  could 
say  no  more,  as  they  drove  back  to  town  in  silence. 

The  sun  shone  all  red  and  yellow  in  a  western,  clouded 
sky,  throwing  its  radiance  into  their  faces,  and  giving 
to  them  an  imitation  of  happiness.  But  the  sun  soon 
dropped  behind  the  hill,  and  when  they  reached  the  hotel, 
the  lights  were  aglow  in  the  lobby.  They  said  good-night 
in  coldly  polite  way,  and  she  went  into  the  hall.  Fred 
stood  and  watched  her  with  a  sinking  heart,  wonder- 
ing when  he  should  see  her  again,  knowing  that  when  she 
awoke  the  next  morning,  he  should  be  far  from  Prescott. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THOSE  who  live  in  country  places  know  that  the  Fourth 
of  July,  next  to  Christmas,  is  the  one  great  holiday  of  the 
year.  Prescott  celebrates  this  day  with  all  pomp  due  to  the 
honor  of  a  great  nation.  The  patriotism  in  such  rural 
districts  is  more  genuine  than  that  evinced  in  great  cities. 
The  country  people  are  simpler  of  heart,  more  natural  in 
the  expression  of  their  feelings,  and,  therefore,  more  sin- 
cere in  any  kind  of  demonstration. 

Flags,  bands  of  music  and  red  lemonade  are  everyday 
luxuries  to  the  city  bred.  In  Prescott,  where  the  majority 
of  people  who  enjoy  these  celebrations,  pour  in  from  the 
smaller  towns  or  from  the  mere  country  itself,  a  drink  of 
lemonade  is  a  treat;  the  strains  from  a  band,  be  it  ever 
so  poor  an  excuse  for  music,  lift  the  soul  of  the  rustic 
to  the  sky ;  the  child,  the  youth,  the  maiden  are  awakened 
by  it.  It  even  stirs  the  elderly  from  their  contented  ease. 
But  when  the  Stars  and  Stripes  float  on  the  breeze,  are 
not  all  eyes  turned  heavenward?  Are  not  the  victories 
of  Washington,  the  woes  of  Lincoln,  the  sacrifices  of 
Davis,  and  the  honors  of  Grant,  bound  up  in  its  sacred 
folds?  Ah,  the  Fourth  of  July  is  a  glorious  day  to  the 
rustics.  It  means  as  much  to  Aunt  Miranda,  with  her 
basket  full  of  good  things  under  the  wagon  seat,  as  it 
does  to  young  Susan,  with  her  cheap  challie  dress  and 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

new  fan ;  as  much  to  Uncle  Hiram,  by  way  of  memories, 
as  it  does  to  little  Willie,  with  his  peanuts  and  fire- 
crackers. 

This  particular  celebration  of  which  I  speak,  was 
neither  superior,  nor  inferior,  to  many  of  its  predeces- 
sors in  Prescott,  but  it  surged  madly  to  and  fro,  as  though 
its  like  had  never  been  known  before.  It  mattered  not 
that  Prescott  did  not  afford  an  ideal  spot  for  such  an 
observance,  no  dense  grove  of  trees,  no  grassy  carpet,  no 
cool,  shady  places  for  the  lemonade  stands  and  speaker's 
platform;  no,  it  was  just  as  glorious  an  affair,  in  the 
midst  of  the  hilly  streets,  hot  and  dusty,  as  though  it 
possessed  all.  Nothing  can  dampen  the  ardor  of  the 
sturdy  Westerner. 

The  "merry-go-round"  was  under  a  stretched  canvas 
on  the  plaza.  The  egg  race,  potato  race,  the  sack  race, 
the  burro  race,  and  the  young  Squaw  race,  were  to  take 
place  in  Main  Street,  while  the  balloon  ascension  was 
billed  to  occur  on  the  summit  of  Cordez  Hill. 

If  you  had  been  in  Prescott  on  that  day,  you  would 
have  wondered  where  all  these  people  came  from.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  you  could  have  been  poised  high 
enough  above  the  town,  early  that  morning  to  command 
a  distinct  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  your  ques- 
tion would  have  been  answered  satisfactorily.  Roads 
from  every  direction  led  to  Prescott,  and  all  were  teem- 
ing with  moving  throngs  bound  for  that  city. 

They  came  from  a  hundred  miles  or  more — heavy  farm 
wagons,  completely  filled;  chairs  behind  the  seat,  or 
planks  laid  across  the  wagon  bed,  to  serve  as  seats.  There 
were  sometimes  as  many  as  fifteen  persons  in  one  of 
these  wagons.  Perhaps  two  or  three  families,  from  the 

52 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

upper  Verde,  clubbed  together  and  came  in  a  party.  They 
started  the  day  before,  and  after  a  long  but  jolly  ride, 
camped  a  mile  or  two  outside  of  town,  in  order  to  get 
in  early  the  next  day. 

A  dozen  young  men  on  horseback  came  dashing  along 
at  full  gallop.  They  were  a  band  of  cowboys  from 
Brown's  Springs  and  Cherry  Creek.  They  had  risen  at 
3  A.  M.  that  morning  and,  having  no  mercy  on  horse- 
flesh, were  due  in  Prescott  by  10  o'clock.  What  cared 
they  for  horseflesh  this  day?  Did  they  not  give  espec- 
ial attention  to  their  horses  at  most  times,  and  were  their 
tough  ponies  not  hard  yet  from  the  late  Spring  round-up  ? 
Their  pockets  jingled  with  the  earnings  of  the  last  three 
months.  They  had  prepared  for  this  occasion,  and  meant 
there  should  be  "something  doing."  It  would  be  a  shame 
to  save  the  money.  Prescott  was  a  wide  open  town  in 
those  days,  with  a  Whiskey  Row  a  half  mile  long  and 
some  times  even  then,  there  was  a  man  for  breakfast. 
But  most  of  the  jokes  that  this  lusty  band  threw  at  each 
other  on  that  strenuous  ride,  contained  some  allusion 
to  Granite  Street.  Their  minds  ran  in  such  currents  at 
such  times. 

"  Say,  Sour-dough,"  calls  out  Silvertip,  "  I  hear  they 
have  been  having  camp  meetings  in  town.  Some  new 
Sky-pilots  have  swarmed  the  place." 

"  Let  them  swarm,"  says  Sour-dough,  "  what  do  such 
as  we  care  for  those  devil-dodgers  ?  " 

"  But,"  puts  in  Dug  Bremister,  "  maybe  a  moral  wave 
has  hit  the  burg,  and  maybe  we  can't  cavort  around  as  we 
used  to." 

"Don't  you  never  fear,"  confides  Doc  Mannart,  "I 

53 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

savy  those  fire-escapes;  just  grease  their  paw  sufficient 
and  mum  is  the  word." 

"  How  much  of  the  long  green  have  you  for  Granite 
Street,  John  Alex  ?  "  asks  the  man  of  the  premature 
silvery  locks. 

"  That's  accordin'  to  what  kind  of  propositions  I  find 
on  Granite  Street,"  answered  John  Alexander  promptly. 

"  He's  lookin'  for  charcoal  blossoms,"  chimes  in  Awk 
Bremister. 

"  Now  don't  be  so  funny,  Awk,  a  senorita  is  good 
enough  for  me.  But  I'll  bet  I  have  as  much  of  the 
chink  for  any  proposition  as  you  have,  and  will  cough 
up  as  plentiful  too." 

"  Ther's  one  thing  dead  sure,"  ventures  Sour-dough, 
"  if  Prescott  don't  give  us  a  free  swing,  we  can  pull  up 
stakes  and  make  a  bee  line  for  another  village  on  a  keen 
trot." 

"  Have  no  fear  for  Prescott,"  Doc  Manhart  confides, 
"she's  beyond  recall;  let  the  shy-pilots  do  their  wenie- 
worst.  It  will  be  a  cold  day  in  Juvember  before  she  is 
anything  but  a  dead  sport's  town." 

Grin  had  kept  his  peace  during  this  conversation,  which 
they  threw  at  each  other  as  they  sped  along,  but  he  knew 
in  his  clean  heart  that  none  of  his  hard  earned  wad  should 
go  for  any  of  these  things. 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  some  real  good  music,  though," 
he  commented  to  himself.  And  thus  they  galloped  on. 

There  were  scores  of  Mexican  families  bound  for 
Prescott,  hailing  from  their  scant  ranches  all  over  the 
country,  wherever  there  were  to  be  found  a  spring  and 
a  cottonwood  tree.  Their  rickety  old  wagons  rattled 
merrily  along,  drawn  by  thin,  old  mangy  horses,  the  har- 

54 


In  the  Land  of  'Extremes. 

ness  having  scarcely  the  strength  to  draw  the  load  of  par- 
ents, and  seven  or  eight  muchachos;  being  spliced  and 
bound  up  with  bailing  wire  and  strings.  Here  and 
there,  one  or  two  of  the  little  lean,  brown  boys  who 
could  not  find  room  in  the  wagon,  came  jogging  along 
behind,  on  lazy  burros  which  they  were  compelled  to 
beat  unmercifully  at  every  step,  to  make  them  move  at 
all,  until  the  little  arms  were  tired  almost  past  motion. 

American  fathers,  or  gringoes,  as  the  Mexicans  say, 
headed  some  of  these  outfits;  little  dried-up,  parched- 
looking  men  in  every  case — the  only  type  that  marries  the 
squaw  or  the  senorita.  His  beard  may  be  grizzled  and 
stiff,  though  his  haggard-looking  spouse  may  not  be  over 
thirty. 

The  senorita  marries  at  fifteen,  and  is  an  old  woman 
at  thirty.  Such  groups  as  these  sailed  into  town  with  the 
greatest  pretense,  joyous  in  their  bright-colored,  cheap 
clcthes,  covered  with  dust,  and  all  unconscious  of  the 
spectacle  they  made.  Patriotism,  was  it,  they  evinced? 

Then,  there  were  the  respectable  families,  ranchers  and 
miners,  who  lived  near  town.  They  came  in  buggies,  with 
good  horses  and  decent  apparel. 

The  roads  presented  continuous  streaks  of  foggy  dust 
from  all  directions.  The  trains  from  Phoenix  emptied 
their  hordes,  which  had  been  picked  up  at  small  towns  all 
along  the  way.  Not  many  came  from  Phoenix,  how- 
ever, being  too  jealous  of  Prescott  for  many  of  her  peo- 
ple to  make  holiday  there.  Trains  from  the  north  brought 
visitors  from  Flagstaff,  Jerome,  Wilcox,  Holbrook  and 
Ash  Fork.  The  "jerk-water"  steam  cars  from  Mayer 
brought  those  from  Big  Bug,  Poland  and  Cordes. 

At  last  the  crowd  has  assembled.  The  band  plays  in 

55 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  plaza,  and  the  sun  burns  down  hot.  A  stray  breeze 
shifts  about,  and  blows  dust  into  everybody's  eyes. 
Speaking  and  a  musical  program  from  the  platform  in 
front  of  the  Courthouse,  facing  the  plaza,  occupy  the 
whole  of  the  forenoon.  This  part  of  the  day  interests  the 
men. 

The  women  are  eager  to  spread  their  feasts,  and  have 
the  remainder  of  the  day  free.  The  races  of  the  afternoon 
are  now  beginning,  which  are  of  interest  to  everyone. 
All  goes  smoothly  until  the  Squaw  race  is  called.  Every- 
one is  on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation,  for  this  is  one  of  the 
novelties.  But,  when  the  glittering  band  of  hill-nymphs 
is  brought  forward,  decked  in  beads,  fringed  buckskin 
and  paint,  they  refuse  to  run,  and  hang  back,  giggling 
and  covering  their  spreading  mouths  with  their  hands. 
Naughty,  timid,  blushing  maidens!  At  the  first  oppor- 
tunity, they  break  for  liberty,  running  for  the  hills  and 
woods  like  frightened  doe,  and  there  is  no  Squaw  race 
that  day. 

The  hordes  surge  and  mingle  in  cosmopolitan  variety. 
Irishmen,  of  which  Prescott  has  a  generous  share,  are 
red-faced  and  garrulous,  not  very  good-natured,  bat 
ready  to  laugh  if  they  see  the  prospect  of  a  fight  between 
two  or  more  of  their  less  sober  fellows,  urging  it  on,  if 
they  think  it  is  going  to  fail.  They  tell  their  cronies  that 
the  parade  reminds  them  of  St.  Patrick's  Day,  on  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York,  years  ago  when  they  "came  over." 

Negroes,  not  a  few,  independent  and  strutting,  as  they 
are  everywhere,  except  in  the  South.  Mexicans,  greasy 
and  trifling,  as  they  are  always,  everywhere,  under  all 
circumstances.  Jews — but  I  need  not  describe  the  Jew; 
everybody  knows  "  Ikey,"  with  his  palms  turned  up. 

Girls  from  Granite  street,  dressed  showily,  the  gown 

56 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  the  saloon  singer  exceeding  all  others;  housewives, 
who  are  robbed  of  their  liberty  because  of  the  brood  of 
children  they  must  herd;  waitresses  and  chambermaids, 
tightly  laced  and  enjoying  a  social  rating,  accorded  them 
no  place  else  under  the  sun;  troops  of  pretty  working 
girls,  stenographers,  book-keepers,  saleswomen  and  cash- 
iers, holding  themselves  above  their  sisters,  the  chamber- 
maids and  waitresses,  for  a  reason  I  never  could  compre- 
hend. School  teachers,  in  twos  and  threes,  each  with  a 
male  escort,  for  if  you  think  the  teachers  of  Arizona  do 
not  enjoy  the  company  of  men,  you  are  mistaken.  They 
are  no  superannuated  set,  severely  prim,  extremely  long 
waisted,  flat-chested,  old  maids,  those  teachers  of  Ari- 
zona ;  no !  They  keep  their  trustees  constantly  searching 
for  substitutes  so  frequently  do  they  resign  their  schools 
in  midwinter  to  wed.  Let  a  spinster  come  from  Boston 
to  Arizona;  she  soon  becomes  rejuvenated,  loses  her  re- 
serve, and  lives  as  she  should  have  lived  at  sixteen  or 
twenty.  She  becomes  natural;  something  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  Arizona  making  people  honest,  candid  and 
frank.  To  these  attractive  and  capable  women,  represent- 
ing many  Eastern  colleges  and  normals,  is  due  all  praise 
and  credit  for  the  splendid  educational  system  of  Ari- 
zona. They  are  universally  bright,  pretty  and  attractive, 
worthy  the  place  they  hold  in  the  esteem  of  the  people. 

Myrnie  Leston  was  helping  to  celebrate  on  this  par- 
ticular1 National  Birthday  in  Prescott.  She  was  not  with 
Joe,  nor  Kelly,  nor  even  with  Mr.  Harmon,  having  given 
each  of  them  the  "  Nova  Scotian  turn-down."  She  was 
with  another  teacher,  a  pretty  brunette.  These  girls  were 
friends,  principally  because  they  were  being  waited  upon 
by  the  "  little  operators,"  who  were  friends  also.  This 
friendship  was  cemented  by  another  common  bond — 

57 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Bessie  was  a  native  of  Manitoba,  and  lived  with  a  mar- 
ried sister  in  Prescott. 

The  "  little  operators"  were  busy  at  the  wires  during 
the  day,  and  could  not  be  with  them  until  six,  at  which 
time  they  were  to  be  accorded  the  honor  of  escorting  the 
girls  to  the  ball  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall. 

Bessie  was  a  pretty  girl,  after  the  fashion  of  brunettes, 
but  Myrnie's  Edna-May  style  of  beauty  was  even  more 
charming,  having  about  her  that  which,  in  a  woman,  we 
call  "sweet." 

These  girls  had  put  in  a  jolly  day,  sitting  by  and  com- 
menting on  the  queer  individuals  who  passed,  for  they 
were  good  students  of  human  nature.  They  had  been 
"  treated"  and  "swung"  by  all  the  young  men  they  knew ; 
had  even  ridden  the  merry-go-round  with  a  big,  country 
lad,  out  of  which  they  had  a  great  deal  of  sport. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  Myrnie  saw  a  well- 
known  figure  standing  some  distance  from  her,  leaning 
against  the  band-stand  and  looking  steadily  at  her.  As 
soon  as  his  eye  caught  hers,  he  came  over  to  her,  looking 
pale  but  handsome,  in  his  summer  suit  and  Panama. 
Myrnie  smiled,  and  introduced  him  to  her  friend,  a  little 
nervously.  If  she  had  not  seen  him  for  some  time,  he 
always  exerted  a  strange,  compelling  influence  over  her. 
Just  then  some  one  came  for  Bessie,  who  would  not  be 
refused,  and  Fred  Harmon  and  Myrnie  were  left  to 
themselves. 

"  Yes/'  remarked  Fred,  taking  a  seat  beside  her,  with- 
out being  invited,  "  I  sent  the  family  to  Los  Angeles  for 
the  summer.  Just  returned  to  Phoenix  three  days  ago, 
and,  having  business  in  Prescott,  was  glad  to  spend  to- 
day here." 

58 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Should  think  Los  Angeles  a  much  pleasanter  place 
to  spend  the  Fourth  of  July,"  she  said. 

"  No,  as  I  once  told  you,  I  am  a  genuine  '  Hassayam- 
per'  and  love  to  wander  back  to  the  land  of  enchant- 
ment ;  love  to  answer  the  call  to  the  desert,  and  the  'call 
of  the  wild.'  But,  how  fine  you  are  looking.  Got  one  or 
two  freckles  on  your  nose,  though,"  he  went  on.  "  How 
is  Prescott  treating  you  ?  " 

"  Wonderfully  well,"  she  told  him.  "  Why,  Mr.  Har- 
mon, I  am  growing  to  love  it.  Bessie  and  I  have  lovely 
times,  I  am  living  with  her  at  her  sister's  house  now, 
and  that  is  better  than  hotel  life  for  me." 

"  It  is  indeed,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  that ;  I  have 
thought  about  you  a  lot  and  worried  about  you " 

She  cut  him  off  with,  "  Oh,  Mr.  Harmon,  you  make 
me  very  tired,  really."  He  laughed  good-naturedly, 
touching  her  under  the  chin  with  the  small  flag  he  held, 
while  she  continued, 

"  I  like  the  Western  people.  I  like  the  women  of  Ari- 
zona, and  I  find  them  equal  in  most  ways,  and  superior 
in  some,  to  the  Eastern  women.  Their  manners  may 
shock  their  Eastern  sisters  occasionally,  but  the  customs 
are  different.  I  think  the  women  here  are  more  honest 
with  themselves,  and  think  on  broader  lines.  There  are 
as  many  homes  of  culture  here,  in  proportion  to  the  pop- 
ulation, as  there  are  in  the  East." 

"  Whew !  You  are  becoming  a  strong  champion  for 
the  West,"  he  exclaimed.  "But  I  think,  myself,  that 
your  deductions  are  not  far  from  correct.  It  appears  that 
you  have  been  thinking-  a  little  for  yourself  already — 
been  observing,  discovering." 

"  I  cannot  understand  why  Arizona  has  not  been  given 
Statehood,"  she  put  in,  "  She  is  certainly  entitled  to  it—" 

59 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Speak  on,  oh,  wise  and  gentle  sage,  but  you  will  have 
to  go  to  the  G.  O.  P.  for  the  answer  to  that,"  said  he, 
placing  one  hand  on  her  shoulder.  "  I  cannot  answer 
your  question  because  I  am  one  of  those  fool  Democrats. 
But,  come  with  me  and  have  something  cold,  and  let  us 
not  have  such  strong  sentiments  on  the  Fourth  of  July ;  it 
is  too  warm." 

They  went  toward  an  ice  cream  parlor,  entered  and 
found  empty  seats.  Harmon  was  beaming  with  a  radiant 
happiness.  Nothing  seemed  to  matter  now,  but  the  pres- 
ent. The  worn,  wan  look  left  his  face,  and  in  its  stead 
came  a  smile  and  a  pair  of  bright  eyes,  which  rested 
upon  her  every  minute. 

"  Seems  awfully  good  to  see  you,  it  has  been  so  long. 
How  well  you  manage  to  look  all  the  time.  Yes,  it  has 
been  a  long  time." 

"  Well,  where  have  you  kept  yourself  all  this  time  ?  " 
he  was  delighted  to  have  her  ask. 

"  Oh,  I  left  town  the  next  day — the  next  day  after  I 
last  saw  you.  Business  took  me  away,  but  I  did  not  think 
you  wanted  to  see  me  again,"  he  added,  looking  at  her 
nervously. 

Her  sympathy  expressed  itself  in  a  smile,  which  he 
mistook  for  encouragement,  and  again  became  himself. 

After  fifteen  minutes  of  conversation  on  topics  per- 
sonal and  otherwise,  a  bell  boy  from  the  hotel  hurriedly 
interrupted. 

"  Found  you  at  last,  Mr.  Harmon.  Been  searching 
for  you  everywhere  for  the  last  half  Hour.  Mr.  Burke 
told  me  I  must  find  you,  for  he  said  this  message  was 
important." 

The  boy  tossed  him  the  sealed  envelope  and  ran  away, 
before  Harmon  could  ask  him  a  word.  There  was  noth- 

60 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ing  to  do  but  consult  the  telegram,  which  he  did,  growing 
haggard  the  while. 

He  arose,  still  reading  the  telegram,  "  Bad  news  from 
Los  Angeles;  will  just  have  time  to  catch  the  west 
bound  passenger.  Good  bye." 

Myrnie  sat  stunned  for  a  moment,  then,  collecting  her 
senses,  read  what  was  on  the  yellow  paper  left  in  her 
lap.  "  If  you  wish  to  see  Amy  alive,  come  at  once. 

Mother." 

She  crushed  the  paper  in  her  fingers,  threw  it  down 
and  ground  it  under  her  heel.  "  I  wonder  why  he  thinks 
I  care  about  him  and  his  affairs  ?  " 

She  arose  and  went  to  seek  Bessie,  smiling  and  talk- 
ative as  usual,  but,  in  the  background  of  her  mind,  ran  a 
train  of  thought,  which,  put  into  words,  would  have  run 
something  like  this ;  "  Pretends  not  to  care  for  her.  I 
notice  he  rushes  headlong,  pale  and  trembling  after  her, 
on  the  least  mention  of  her  name.  O,  world  of  deceit !  " 

The  spice  of  the  day's  enjoyment  seemed  to  have  van- 
ished for  Myrnie.  The  Indian  war  dance,  which  com- 
menced at  dusk  in  the  plaza,  held  little  charm  for  her, 
though  it  had  been  the  one  feature  of  the  day  to  which 
she  had  looked  forward  with  greatest  interest. 

There  were  over  a  hundred  Indians — seventy-five 
braves — the  remainder  women  and  children,  who  had 
been  paid  to  come  from  the  Post  at  Camp  Verde  to  per- 
form this  novel  spectacle.  Myrnie  stood  with  the  rest, 
watching  the  weird  dance  for  hours,  her  thoughts  far 
away  in  a  maze  of  imaginative  romance. 

The  would-be  warriors,  with  bodies  stripped  to  the 
waists,  were  gaily  painted,  and  much  bedecked  with 
fancy  articles  and  feathers.  They  began  the  dance  by 
forming  a  circle  of  about  ten  men ;  these  circled  from 

61 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

left  to  right,  from  right  to  left,  singing  and  grunting  a 
wild  refrain.  Each  time,  when  they  finished  the  song, 
they  opened  the  circle  and  let  in  another  buck ;  thus  they 
continued  till  the  whole  number,  including  women  and 
children,  were  circling  and  grinding  the  earth  into  a 
well-defined  path  beneath  their  moccasined  feet.  At 
times  the  song  became  shrill  and  high,  and  the  men  broke 
into  a  war  whoop  which  sent  the  blood  racing  wildly 
through  their  veins.  After  this,  the  bucks  took  from 
their  belts  imitations  of  human  scalps,  and  waved  them 
above  their  heads,  the  squaws  alone  yelling  and  cheer- 
ing. This  festivity  lasted  far  into  the  night,  the  Red  men 
seeming  to  forget  they  had  been  paid  to  amuse  the  Pale 
Face,  but  entering  into  the  warlike  spirit  of  it,  and 
becoming  so  hilarious  that  by  midnight  some  of  the 
more  excited  had  to  be  locked  up. 

The  dance  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  also  lacked  the  spirit 
of  previous  occasions  to  Myrnie.  When  she  and  Bessie 
were  retiring  that  night,  at  the  hour  of  2  A.  M.,  she 
said  irritably, 

"  Do  you  know,  Bessie,  I  am  tired  of  that  operator." 

"  Oh,  no,  you  are  not  honey;  he  is  just  cute." 

"  He  is  not  the  kind  of  fellow  I  like.  His  head  is  too 
small  and  his  feet  are  too  small;  his  hands  are  so  weak 
looking.  He  never  could  be  anything  but  a  salary  man." 

Bessie  laughed  heartily  at  this  description,  and  said 
she  never  saw  such  a  girl,  but  Myrnie  continued. 

"  He  seems  so  inexperienced  with  girls ;  is  really  half 
bashful  when  we  are  alone.  Does  not  know  how  to  pay 
anyone  a  compliment.  I  like  experienced  men,  who  dote 
on  you  and  pour  out  pretty  speeches  and  compliments." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  honey.  You  will  not  spoil  all ,  our 
fun  by  throwing  the  operator  over.  I  know  the  kind 

62 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

you  speak  of  are  more  interesting,  but  they  are  not  often 
so  sincere  as  the  more  silent  kind.  Really  fine  men  are 
not  often  found  outside  of  books." 

"  I  have  met  such  men,  though,  one  now  and  then, 
outside  of  books."  These  last  words  were  spoken  in 
a  drawl,  for  the  girls  were  now  in  bed  and  half  asleep. 

Two  days  later  Myrnie  received  a  letter.  It  was  from 
Mr.  Harmon  and  ran : 

"  Dear  Miss  Leston : 

I  wish  to  apologize  for  leaving  you  so  abruptly  in 
Prescott  the  other  day.  I  presume  you  read  the  message 
I  left  in  your  lap.  When  I  reached  the  city,  I  found  Mrs. 
Harmon's  health  much  improved,  in  fact  she  seems  in 
better  health  now  than  she  has  been  for  a  long  time. 
But  that  is  the  way  she  always  is.  One  day  you  think 
she  is  dying,  and  the  next  day  she  is  well.  I  hope  to 
come  back  to  my  enchanted  land  soon.  I  hope  to  see 
you,  too.  Sincerely, 

Fred  Harmon." 

If  Myrnie  had  tried,  she  could  not  have  accounted  for 
the  anger  which  filled  her  as  she  read  this  letter.  There 
seemed  to  rise  up  within  her  a  demon  of  gigantic  pro- 
portions, which  controlled  her.  She  tried  to  analyze  her 
varied  emotions,  that  she  might  understand  herself,  and 
consequently  read  others,  but  this  feeling  of  rage  she 
could  not  analyze. 

"  I  wonder  what  he  thinks  I  care  for  all  that  ?  "  And 
she  relieved  her  mood  by  tearing  the  paper  into  frag- 
ments, and  casting  it  from  her. 

63 


CHAPTER  V. 


ABOUT  a  mile  out  of  Phoenix  on  the  Yuma  road,  stands 
a  neat  little  school  house.  It  is  September,  but  is  still 
very  hot  in  the  Salt  River  Valley.  The  umbrella 
trees  which  surround  the  building  were  meant  to  pro- 
tect it  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  most  torrid  sun  in 
the  United  States,  but  they  serve  only  to  check  any 
wandering  current  of  air,  which  might,  by  some  odd 
chance,  happen  to  stray  in  that  direction.  The  atmos- 
phere within  the  room  and  without  is  sweltering.  The 
doors  at  each  end  of  the  room  are  wide  open.  The  three 
windows  on  each  side  of  the  house  are  also  open,  but 
not  a  single  breeze  is  felt  within. 

The  little  school  mistress  stands  rather  proudly  before 
a  class  of  small  children.  This  is  her  first  experience  in 
real  school  teaching,  but  one  would  never  think  so  to  see 
Myrnie  Leston  now.  She  has  perfect  command  of  self; 
how  confident  she  is  of  every  statement  she  makes ;  what 
perfect  English  she  uses ;  she  knows  exactly  what  to  do 
next,  for  her  work  has  been  planned  in  every  detail.  To 
be  sure  there  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not  be  confi- 
dent. She  has  no  tousel-headed,  big  boys  in  her  school ; 
there  is  not  a  child  in  the  room  more  than  twelve  years 
old  and  the  hearts  of  her  twenty  pupils  were  hers  from 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  first  day,  worshipping  her  blindly,  and  vicing  with 
each  other  to  win  her  praise. 

Such  a  picture  she  makes  in  the  plain  school  room; 
her  wonderful  hair  does  not  fall  low  over  the  high  fore- 
head now.  It  is  too  warm,  and  is  parted,  brushed  plainly 
back,  and  made  into  two  big  braids  which  crown  her  head 
and  give  her  an  intellectual,  queenly  bearing. 

The  heat  keeps  her  skin  velvety  with  moisture,  and  the 
bloom  ever  fresh  on  her  cheeks.  So  serene,  so  intel- 
lectual, so  incorporeal  she  appears,  and  her  thoughts  are 
as  free  from  guile  as  the  minds  of  the  little  children 
about  her.  Teaching,  with  Myrnie  Leston,  is  not  drudg- 
ery, but  a  very  lofty  occupation. 

Already  Phoenix  has  noticed  her,  and  has  tried  to 
make  friends  with  her,  but  she  keeps  herself  aloof.  She 
is  absorbed  in  her  work,  and  does  not  need  a  host  of 
friends.  In  her  school  days  even,  she  did  not  care  to 
have  many  close  friends,  often  saying  there  was  enough 
in  one's  own  mind  to  keep  one  from  loneliness.  Life 
had  now  assumed  new  proportions  and  was  new  and 
wonderful  enough  to  her  to  keep  her  satisfied  within 
the  circle  of  her  own  interests. 

Several  young  men  have  tried  to  attract  her  attention, 
but  they  have  failed.  The  women  and  girls  of  Phoenix 
generally  have  said  they  do  not  care  for  her. 

"  She  is  too  much  of  a  prig,  and  is  altogether  too  un- 
usual. Guess  she  thinks  people  who  come  from  Nova 
Scotia  are  better  than  those  in  the  wild  and  woolly  West. 
Well,  I  find  it  a  good  plan  to  leave  eccentric  people  to 
themselves,"  are  some  of  the  comments  of  the  women. 

It  is  quite  noticeable,  though,  that  the  County  Super- 
intendent has  visited  the  school  twice  already.  In  former 

65 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

years,  he  paid  one  of  the  two  visits,  which  the  law  re- 
quired of  him  during  the  first  half  of  the  year,  and  the 
second  one  toward  the  close  of  the  term,  and  the  teacher 
saw  no  more  of  him.  But,  in  this  case,  it  was  plain 
that  Mr.  Fullerton  meant  to  become  acquainted  with 
Miss  Leston. 

"  Teacher,"  whispered  a  little  girl  who  came  to  have 
a  word  pronounced,  "  If  here  doesn't  come  Grandmammy 
Fullerton  again." 

Myrnie  looked  up  to  see  the  round,  fat  face  of  the 
Superintendent  at  the  door.  She  arose  and  went  to  meet 
him.  He  supposed  her  laughter  indicated  her  pleasure 
at  seeing  him,  little  dreaming  that  her  amusement  was 
at  his  expense. 

"  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  visiting  this 
model,  little  school  as  I  passed  by,"  he  explained,  mop- 
ping his  smooth,  pink  face  with  his  handkerchief. 

"  Yes,  this  is  a  good  place  to  get  a  cold  drink,"  she 
answered.  "  There  is  no  better  water  than  hangs  in  our 
olla.  It  is  always  filled  the  night  before,  and  by  morn- 
ing is  as  cold  as  ice." 

He  went  to  the  olla  and  drank  rapidly  of  its  refreshing, 
cold  water.  Oh,  the  cool,  dripping  olla  which  hung  in 
the  dense  shade  of  an  umbrella  tree,  and  dripped  and 
'dripped.  The  ground  under,  and  around  it  was  patted 
down  hard  by  the  little  feet  of  many  school  years,  for 
the  children  sought  the  olla  often.  I  am  sorry  for  those 
who  do  not  know  what  the  olla,  is  for  no  "old,  oaken 
bucket"  was  ever  so  tempting.  The  olla  is  the  Indian's 
water  jug,  but,  because  of  its  convenience,  is  used  even  by 
the  rich  in  Arizona.  It  is  made  of  clay,  well  mixed  with 
powdered  buffalo  chips,  moulded  and  shaped  by  the 

66 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

hand  of  the  squaw,  and  burnt  in  a  kiln  till  it  is  hard  and 
red  like  tile.  The  powdered  manure  is  consumed  dur- 
ing the  process  of  burning,  and  thus  the  jug  is  left  por- 
ous, and,  when  filled  with  water,  leaks  sufficiently  to  cause 
continual  evaporation.  In  a  dry  climate  like  Arizona, 
the  water  within  is  as  cold  as  ice.  Eastern  people  mis- 
understand and  discredit  this  fact,  even  when  they  be- 
hold the  wonder  with  their  own  eyes,  but  every  West- 
erner is  well  acquainted  with  the  blessed  olla. 

"  There  are  so  few  schools  in  this  county,"  the 
Superintendent  told  her,  as  soon  as  he  could  breathe  after 
such  rapid  drinking,  "  of  which  as  a  Superintendent  I 
can  feel  proud;  and  when  I  come  to  one  like  this,  I  just 
have  a  desire  to  enter,  and  sit,  and  sit,  and  watch  the 
clock-work  go  on.  It  is  such  a  rest  to  my  tired,  over- 
worked nerves  to  find  this  crowning  glory  of  my  efforts 
here." 

"  I  am  just  ready  to  close,"  she  told  him,  still  laugh- 
ing. He  was  one  at  whom  it  was  easy  to  laugh.  "  You 
are  just  in  time  to  give  my  girls  and  boys  a  talk." 

The  children  winked  at  one  another  and  smiled,  know- 
ing there  was  a  good  laugh  in  store,  for  Fullerton  always 
said  things  to  make  them  laugh.  Once  seated  inside  the 
room,  he  looked  into  all  the  little  faces,  then  at  the 
teacher.  His  sides  were  shaking  with  suppressed  merri- 
ment. Every  one  in  the  room  was  soon  laughing,  till 
the  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks,  and  no  one  knew  why, 
unless  it  was  at  the  toad-like  appearance  of  the  Superin- 
tendent, as  he  sat  huddled  on  a  chair  too  small  for  him. 
But  this  was  the  effect  he  invariably  produced  on  chil- 
dren, whom  he  loved  and  understood  perfectly. 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

At  length  he  arose,  and,  shaking  his  head  by  way  of 
pause,  said  with  deliberation, 

"  Children,  I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  you  do  not  ap- 
preciate your  good  fortune  in  having  this  little  lady  for 
your  teacher/' 

"  Yes,  we  do,  we  do,"  interrupted  several  voices. 

At  this  the  Superintendent  enjoyed  a  hearty  laugh,  and 
looked  slyly  at  Myrnie,  remarking  in  an  undertone, 
"  Even  they  know  a  good  thing  when  they  see  it." 

He  saw  instantly  that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  for  the 
girl  threw  up  her  head  sarcastically,  so  he  made  an  at- 
tempt to  soothe  her. 

"  It  is  well  if  you  do.  I  visit  all  the  schools  in  this 
county,  and  I  think  I  ought  to  know  who  the  good  teach- 
ers are.  You  are  indeed  fortunate.  Franklin,  Lincoln  or 
Greely,  had  no  such  opportunity  as  this.  All  the  teachers 
in  those  days  were  stern  masters,  who  were  never  seen 
without  a  big  stick ;  that  was  their  only  means  of  control, 
but  your  teacher  rules  by  love,  pure  and  gentle." 

There  was  moisture  in  the  Superintendent's  eyes.  He 
was  a  sentimental  old  fellow,  and  loved  to  plunge  from 
one  extreme  of  emotion  into  another.  The  children 
looked  very  sober,  many  of  them  dropping  their  eyes 
while  the  speaker  continued. 

"Now  look  about  you."  The  children  all  looked. 
"  There  is  no  big  stick  in  sight  anywhere,  unless  indeed,, 
it  be  me." 

At  this  the  children  roared,  jumping  up  and  down  in 
their  seats,  and  breaking  into  wild  disorder.  Fullerton 
sat  convulsed,  holding  his  fat  sides.  How  he  loved  chil- 
dren, and  at  no  other  time  so  much  as  when  they  were 

68 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

capricious,  and  turned  into  the  outlaw  that  every  child  is 
at  times. 

Myrnie  made  no  attempt  to  bring  discipline  out  of  this 
chaos.  No  teacher  ever  could  preserve  order  when  Ful- 
lerton  was  about.  He  was  a  jolly  old  bachelor,  and  loved 
his  joke.  I  am  told  that  he  made  a  similar  speech  at 
every  school  he  visited,  his  purpose  being  to  make  the 
teachers  his  allies,  their  voices  counting  for  him  at  elec- 
tion times.  He  likewise  had  strings  on  the  children's 
hearts.  He  played  with  them  at  their  recesses,  or  at  the 
noon  intermission,  if  he  happened  along  at  such  times. 
"  Pussy  wants  a  corner,"  and  "  Aunty  over,"  were  favor- 
ite games.  The  mirth  of  the  children  when  he  ran,  or 
when  he  flopped  to  the  ground,  if  about  to  be  caught,  was 
very  great,  and,  of  course,  every  child  chose  him,  trying 
to  catch  him,  and  make  him  "  It." 

But  the  game  in  which  he  most  delighted,  was  a  rol- 
licking affair  of  his  own  invention,  which  he  called 
"  Hounds  and  Bruin."  In  this,  he  was  the  bear,  and  all 
the  boys  a  pack  of  hounds.  From  quarter  to  quarter  they 
chased  him,  bringing  him  to  bay  at  frequent  intervals, 
when  he,  on  all  fours,  boxed  them  when  they  came  too 
near  the  savage  monster.  Often  they  got  a  knock  that 
would  have  sent  them  post  haste  in  tears  to  the  teacher, 
if  anyone  else  had  dealt  the  blow.  But  scratches  don't 
count  when  Hounds  are  chasing  Bear.  At  times,  the 
whole  pack  of  baying  beasts  would  take  him  from  behind 
and  in  front,  and  pin  him  to  the  ground.  Then  the  bear 
was  dead. 

Fullerton  made  a  ridiculous  spectacle  during  this  esca- 
pade, but  what  cared  he  for  that  ?  He  would  come  out 
of  it  exhausted  and  perspiring,  but  would  sit  and  shake 

69 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

his  sides  for  hours  afterwards,  in  memory  of  the  rare 
sport. 

This  also  counted  for  him  on  election  days,  the  chil- 
dren always  reminding  their  fathers,  when  starting  for 
the  polls — "  Be  sure  to  vote  for  Fullerton,  papa." 

Some  student  of  human  nature  had  dubbed  him 
"  Grandmammy  Fullerton,"  and,  in  the  way  such  things 
spread,  it  had  reached  the  farthermost  limits  of  his  ter- 
ritory. No  one  loved  him  the  less  for  it;  he  knew  of  it 
himself,  and  enjoyed  the  distinction,  it  gave  him.  He 
had  been  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Superintendent 
for  four  consecutive  terms,  and  stood  a  fair  chance  to 
hold  the  position  for  the  remainder  of  fiis  days.  He  was 
an  indefatigable  worker,  and  would  not  have  changed 
places  with  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  days  wore  on  into  late  autumn.  It  grew  cooler. 
A  few  untimely  frosts  had  fallen,  biting  the  alfalfa  fields 
and  spotting  them  with  brown.  The  long  rows  of  cot- 
tonwood  trees,  which  abound  about  Phoenix,  following 
the  canal  banks  and  cutting  the  country  into  squares, 
were  dropping  their  leaves,  and  spreading  their  webs 
of  cotton  over  everything.  The  summer  haze,  which  had 
dimmed  the  distant  mountains,  had  cleared  away,  re- 
vealing a  clear,  crisp  atmosphere,  and  making  the  Gamers 
Back  seem  only  a  few  miles  distant,  when  in  truth  it  is 
fifteen  miles  away.  Still,  the  sun  shone  serenely,  giving 
to  Phoenix  her  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  of  sun- 
shine. 

These  solemn  days  set  Myrnie  thinking,  and  her 
thoughts  at  such  times  were  liable  to  drift  into  melan- 
choly ways.  She  commenced  looking  about  her  to  find 
diversion  for  her  idle  hours  at  home,  school  work  tak- 
ing little  of  her  time,  outside  of  the  school  room. 

70 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Mrs.  Long,  the  widow  with  whom  Myrnie  lived,  told 
her  of  one  Alfred  Stiner,  master  of  the  pianoforte  and 
of  the  violin,  and  informed  her  that  he  was  the  ablest 
musician  in  Phoenix. '  Myrnie  went  to  see  him,  and  ar- 
ranged to  take  instruction  on  the  violin,  the  one  instru- 
ment with  which  she  was  already  familiar. 

Stiner  was  a  dark-complexioned,  Philadelphia-born  Ger- 
man, who  had  been  educated  in  the  fatherland  where  he 
had  also  married,  but  he  was  a  lunger  and  had  been  or- 
dered West  by  his  physician.  He  had  lived  in  Arizona 
for  five  years,  and  although  apparently  restored  in  health 
he  dared  not  leave,  lest  the  dread  disease  return.  Dur- 
ing this  time,  he  had  once  returned  Hast  for  a  visit,  but 
the  old  soreness  came  back  to  his  chest,  the  familiar 
cough  was  heard  again,  so  back  to  his  "sunland"  he  hur- 
ried, where  he  was  wise  enough  to  remain.  His  wife, 
and  their  two  children,  would  not  cross  the  ocean,  and 
come  to  the  far  country  of  wild  men;  to  live  apart  was 
their  only  alternative. 

Mr.  Stiner  was  a  man  of  fine  intellect;  a  dreamer,  a 
typical  musician,  with  dark,  passionate  eyes  and  long 
hair.  His  long,  shapely  fingers  instantly  reminded  one 
of  beautiful  strains  of  music. 

Myrnie  and  this  man  seemed  strangely  drawn  to- 
gether. There  existed  between  them  a  mental  bond, 
such  as  highly  attuned  intellects  understand.  There  was 
also  that  physical  attraction  which  exists  between  cer- 
tain types  of  blondes  and  brunettes. 

Mr.  Stiner  lived  in  apartments  in  a  big  house  on 
Adams  street,  with  a  pretty  garden  in  front.  After  the 
lesson,  he  wrould  accompany  Myrnie  along  the  rose- 
lined  path  to  the  gate,  or  they  sometimes  sat  in  the  gar- 
den and  conversed,  Stiner  always  leading  the  conversa- 

71 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

tion  and  the  girl  proving  to  be  a  good  listener.  At  such 
times,  he  either  told  her  of  his  home  in  Leipzig,  or  of 
some  musician  and  his  work.  Often  he  dwelt  upon  his 
loneliness  and  chafed  at  his  life  apart  from  his  family. 

"Ah,  my  wife  and  my  sweet  babies,"  he  would  say, 
"  life  is  not  worth  much  here,  as  I  am.  May  as  well  go 
back  to  Germany  and  die." 

Myrnie  comforted  him  at  these  times  seeming  es- 
pecially fitted  for  the  task.  How  easily  she  found  her 
way  to  the  heart  of  every  man — without  effort,  and  in 
a  way  natural  to  her.  They  began  looking  forward  to 
these  visits.  Alfred  Stiner  was  the  one  person  in  all 
Phoenix  who  was  really  interesting  to  Myrnie,  and  she 
seemed  more  companionable  to  him  than  any  person  he 
knew  in  the  West. 

After  she  had  gone,  he  would  say  to  himself,  "  Her 
understanding  of  the  heart's  deep  needs  is  wonderful, 
and  she  so  young;  her  tender  sympathy  and  reciproca- 
tion." 

Myrnie  walked  into  town  of  an  evening  to  take  her 
lessons.  This  walk  led  her  past  the  house  where  Super- 
intendent Fullerton  lived.  If  that  jolly,  old  "grand- 
mammy"  saw  her  pass,  as  he  invariably  did,  he  ran  out 
to  meet  her,  with  a  joke  or  two.  This  delayed,  as  well 
as  annoyed,  the  girl.  Perhaps  it  was  a  bit  of  motherly 
advice  he  had  to  offer,  a  warning  against  some  bad  char- 
acter with  whom  he  had  seen  her  talking,  or  may  be  he 
wished  to  shower  praise  upon  her.  Not  infrequently  he 
spoke  of  himself. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  would  say,  "  I  cannot  bear  to  see 
a  little  child  suffer.  It  gives  me  pain;  now  I  do  not 
mean  figurative  pain,  but  real  physical  pain  about  my 

72 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

heart.  If  I  am  angry,  my  arms  ache,  and  grief  deprives 
me  of  the  use  of  my  legs.  I  find  myself  so  different 
from  other  men.  I  have  lain  awake  all  night  often, 
suffering  from  one  or  more  of  these  pains.  I  remem- 
ber several  years  ago,  when  I  was  teaching  in  Mesa,  I 
had  a  pupil — a  thin,  little  boy  who  seemed  ill;  I  studied 
the  child  closely  and  I  found  that  he  was  really  starving.  I 
then  took  more  lunch  than  I  wanted,  and  used  to  call  him 
in  and  feed  him,  under  the  pretense  that  I  could  not  eat 
all  I  had.  I  got  him  to  looking  fine.  His  mother  found 
it  out,  but  instead  of  blessing  me,  as  a  good  mother 
should,  she  let  her  foolish  pride  control  her,  and  took 
him  out  of  school.  Yes,  you  know  I  find  myself  so  dif- 
ferent from  other  men.  The  men  laugh  and  say  to  me, 
1  Fullerton,  we  believe  you  are  a  monstrosity ;'  they  laugh 
at  me  and  call  me  'old  woman'  and  'grandmammy'  and 
say,  '  We  think  you  are  unnatural/  Here  he  laughed 
covertly.  *  Why  don't  you  get  married  ?'  and  '  We  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  you  are  made  wrong.'  More 
sly  laughter,  and  a  wink  at  Myrnie.  "  But  the  truth  is, 
Miss  Leston,  that  I  find  so  few  women  who  are  good 
enough  for  me.  I  deserve  a  pure  girl.  My  system  is  as 
pure  as  gold.  The  doctor,  in  examining  a  drop  of  my 
blood,  said,  '  Fullerton,  your  blood  is  as  pure  as  an  in- 
fant's. There  is  no  hint  of  any  kind  of  disease  in  your 
system.'  I  am  proud  of  this,  Miss  Leston,  and  I  hold 
myself  high  and  dear  on  account  of  it." 

Myrnie  wondered  often  what  the  Superintendent 
meant  by  this.  She  could  not  make  him  out.  This  did 
not  ring  true,  and  her  woman's  instinct  warned  her 
against  him.  She  was  not  bothered  with  sympathy  in 
this  case,  but  such  talk  sent  a  sickening  qualm  through 
her  every  nerve. 

73 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ANOTHER  evening,  when  Myrnie  was  taking  her  cus- 
tomary walk  into  town,  she  was  overtaken  by  a  buggy, 
carrying  a  single  occupant,  before  she  had  gone  any 
distance.  The  man  drew  rein,  and  she  saw  that  he  was 
tipping  his  hat  to  her. 

"  Pardon  my  seeming  rudeness,  Miss,"  he  said,  smil- 
ing. "  If  you  are  going  to  Phoenix,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
give  you  a  ride."  His  hat  was  not  placed  on  his  head 
till  he  had  finished  speaking.  His  appearance  and  his 
manners  were  equally  in  good  form. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  responded,  as  she  went  toward  the 
vehicle.  "  I  am  late  this  evening,  and  can  profit  by  a 
ride." 

He  sprang  from  the  buggy,  and  helped  her  into  the 
seat.  This  is  a  common  custom  in  Arizona,  where  weary 
pedestrians  make  long  journeys,  and  where  the  sun's  ex- 
treme heat  makes  walking  difficult.  The  hearts  of  men 
are  warm  and  merciful  to  one  another,  in  this  isolated 
land.  This  kindness  is  called  giving  a  fellow  a  "  lift," 
and  no  offence  is  taken,  be  it  man  or  woman  to  whom  it 
is  proffered.  These  "  lifts"  on  the  road  are  sometimes 
the  beginning  of  enduring  friendships.  The  inhabitants 
of  the  Territory,  being  cosmopolitan — here  today  and 
gone  tomorrow — find  it  convenient  and  pleasant  to 

74 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

make  friends  and  acquaintances  easily.  This  accounts 
perhaps,  in  a  measure,  for  the  unrestrained  and  straight- 
forward manner  of  Western  people. 

Myrnie  noticed  that  her  companion  was  a  man  of  mid- 
dle age.  His  hair,  in  particular,  attracted  her  atten- 
tinn.  Once  of  raven  hue,  now  half  white,  it  presented 
that  silver  luster  which  is  the  crown  of  a  man's  maturer 
years  and  formed  a  series  of  regular  waves,  which 
added  to  its  beauty. 

"  I  go  into  town  twice  during  the  week  for  my  music 
lesson,  and  it  is  not  often  that  I  get  a  ride,"  she  told  him. 

"  I  surmised  some  such  fact,  when  I  saw  that  you 
carried  a  violin  case.  Do  you  live  out  this  way?  You 
must  be  a  stranger  in  this  neighborhood." 

"  No,  not  exactly  a  stranger.  I  teach  the  Umbrella 
school,  and  have  been  here  since  September." 

"  Hum,"  and  the  gentleman  smiled,  pondering  over 
pleasant  memories.  "  Well,  well,  I  used  to  teach  school 
myself.  But  I  have  not  taught  since  leaving  Boston, 
where  I  taught  for  six  years." 

"  Boston,"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  attended  college  in  Bos- 
ton, and  know  every  foot  of  that  ground — almost,  it 
seems  to  me." 

This  bit  of  common  knowledge  served  as  an  intro- 
duction, and  they  were  still  more  delighted  to  find  they 
had  a  mutual  friend  or  two  in  Boston.  When  you  are  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,  this  goes  a  long  way  toward 
friendship.  Indeed,  in  Arizona,  relationship  is  some- 
times claimed  on  the  strength  of  it. 

They  talked  of  the  East,  and  of  the  West,  discussing 
the  merits  and  demerits  of  each,  finding  they  were  agreed 
on  most  things,  and  beginning  to  feel  like  old  friends. 

75 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  I  presume  your  family  is  here  with  you  ?  "  Myrnie 
returned. 

"  No,  Miss  Leston,  I  have  the  misfortune  of  being  a 
divorced  man." 

"  Ah/'  she  exclaimed  under  her  breath,  and  then  re- 
mained silent. 

"  This  is  Tuesday,"  Mr.  Adams  said.  "  I  presume 
you  take  your  next  lesson  on  Saturday/* 

She  told  him  she  did,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised 
when  he  overtook  her  at  about  the  same  place  that  day. 
As  before,  they  talked  of  things  present  and  past,  and 
when  they  reached  Professor  Stiner's  apartments,  he 
helped  her  from  the  buggy,  remarking: 

"I  hope  we  may  see  more  of  each  other.  I  have 
horses  and  carriages,  and  would  love  to  show  you  some 
of  the  surrounding  country." 

Myrnie  was  puzzled.  She  liked  this  man  well  enough, 
but  she  did  not  know  whether  she  ought  to  ride  with 
him  or  not,  since  he  was  a  divorced  man.  When  she 
reached  home,  she  asked  Mrs.  Long  if  such  a  ride 
would  be  improper,  relating  her  experience  with  Mr. 
Adams. 

"  Why,  no,  child,"  was  the  answer.  "  You  are  such 
a  little  goose.  Take  all  the  rides  you  can  get." 

After  this,  Mr.  Adams  overtook  her  often,  accident- 
ally, of  course,  but  she  always  found  reasons  to  refuse 
the  rides  he  proposed,  other  than  those  "  lifts"  on  the 
road. 

"  Shall  I  drive  around  for  you  on  Sunday  evening?" 
he  asked  her.  "  I  am  going  to  take  two  young  ladies 
from  Glendale — both  are  teachers — out  to  the  orange 
grove,  and  we  would  be  pleased  to  have  you  go  with  us." 

76 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

She  would  be  delighted,  she  told  him,  as  she  had  never 
seen  an  orange  orchard,  and  would  also  be  glad  to  meet 
new  friends.  On  Sunday  evening  Mr.  Adams  came, 
but  alone.  The  young  ladies  had,  for  some  reason,  he 
explained,  been  unable  to  keep  the  appointment.  Myrnie 
tried  to  find  some  excuse  also,  but  Mrs.  Long  was  pres- 
ent, and  insisted  that  she  go.  There  was  no  dodging  Mrs. 
Long. 

The  trip  was  a  pleasant  one,  and  she  returned  with 
her  arms  full  of  orange  blossoms,  while  the  ripe  fruit 
filled  her  lap. 

"  He  seems  like  a  father  or  an  uncle,  and  is  very  nice 
and  kind/'  she  told  Mrs.  Long,  when  she  had  returned. 
"  He  is  very  interesting  company." 

"  It's  not  like  the  uncle  or  father  he's  feeling  toward 
you,  though,"  the  widow  laughingly  told  her. 

"  I  am  sure  a  man  of  his  age  would  never  think  of  me 
in  any  other  light,"  the  girl  pouted. 

"  Oh,  now,  don't  be  too  sure  of  that,  Miss  Innocence," 
answered  the  jolly  widow. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Mrs.  Long  ? "  she  asked,  looking 
surprised  and  hurt. 

"  Oh,  nothing  much.  Only  you  just  look  out  and  '  saw 
wood/  You  never  can  tell  what  those  divorced  men 
are  thinking." 

"  You  urged  me  to  go  with  him  yourself,  and  would 
not  let  me  off.  Now  I  think  it  is  very  unkind  of  you 
to  say  such  things." 

"  Little  goose,"  the  lady  consoled,  "  lose  that  baby  in- 
nocence of  yours.  You  amuse  me  more  than  any  girl  I 
know.  You  will  never  get  on  at  all,  if  you  don't  learn 
how  to  meet  the  world  any  better  than  you  do  now.  I 

77 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

have  been  a  widow  for  three  years,  and  I  know  the  ropes. 
Girls  do  all  sorts  of  things  now,  and  nothing  is  thought 
of  it.  For  my  part,  I  think  the  more  experience  a  girl 
can  have  with  the  '  Lords  of  Creation/  the  better  pre- 
pared she  is  for  life." 

"  What  kind  of  experience  do  you  mean,  Mrs.  Long?  " 
Myrnie  asked. 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  particular.  Most  any  kind  that  hap- 
pens to  come  along  will  serve.  Ha,  ha,  ha,  little  goose. 
Get  next.  Anything  you  can  get  out  of  a  man  is  l  all  to 
the  mustard.'  Like  ole  Mis  Means  used  to  say,  l  While 
you  are  a-gittin'  git  a  plenty.'  There  is  not  a  girl  in 
Phoenix  who  has  not  had  her  experience.  The  world 
today  is  quite  different  from  what  it  was  twenty  years 
ago.  The  very  nicest  people  do  things  today  that  would 
have  ostracised  them  utterly  then.  And  this  condition 
exists  everywhere  in  good  society.  Don't  I  read  it  in 
all  the  papers  ?  "  Mrs.  Long  was  a  devout  peruser  of 
the  Hearst  newspapers,  and  was  exceedingly  well 
posted. 

"  Mrs.  Long,  you  have  no  right  to  say,  'all  the  girls  in 
Phoenix/  for  you  can't  know  about  that.  Besides,  time 
has  not  changed  the  rules  and  laws  of  morality.  What 
was  bad  twenty  years  ago,  is  bad  now.  I  think  it  is  as 
you  look  at  life — what  you  seek  in  life.  You  and  I  seem 
to  look  at  life  differently.  My  desire  is  to  make  a  suc- 
cess of  life." 

But  the  elder  lady  was  not  abashed.  She  gave  a 
brazen  little  laugh,  and  added : 

"  Oh,  well,  I  see  that  you  have  a  lot  to  learn  yet. 
You'll  see  things  different  when  you  are  older.  Young 
people  always  do  start  out  in  life  with  their  wagon 

78 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

hitched  to  a  star,  but  they  find  in  time  that  life  is  not  the 
honest  affair  they  thought  it  was.  I  was  once  like  that, 
too,  but  I've  learned  the  plain  hard  truth.  Being  a 
widow  '  puts  the  blocks  to  you/  But  I  intend  to  stay  a 
widow.  A  burnt  child  shuns  the  fire,  you  know." 

Myrnie  said  nothing  to  this.  She  looked  at  her  land- 
lady searchingly,  and  drew  her  own  conclusions  as  to 
what  the  "blocks"  meant.  Thereafter,  she  did  not  go  to 
Mrs.  Long  for  advice  on  any  matter  of  morals. 

Superintendent  Fullerton  saw  Myrnie  riding  with  Mr. 
Adams.  He  generally  did  see,  or  find  out,  everything 
worth  seeing.  The  next  time  he  saw  her  pass,  he  ran 
out  to  meet  her. 

"Aha,  and  with  whom  did  I  see  you  driving  Sunday 
evening  ? "  he  asked,  as  though  he  had  caught  her  in  a 
trap. 

"  With  Mr.  Adams ;  why?  "  she  asked,  off  her  guard. 

"And  do  you  know  what  and  who  he  is?"  Fuller- 
ton  asked,  making  his  tones  awesome,  and  looking  wise. 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  teacher  from  Boston,  and  knows  some 
of  my  friends  up  there,"  she  answered,  simply. 

"  He  is  a  married  man,"  Fullerton  said,  in  tones  still 
more  awesome,  and  in  half  whispers,  wrinkling  his  fore- 
head. 

"  He  told  me  he  is  divorced."  Myrnie  was  straight- 
forward and  honest  with  everyone.  If  lying  is  ever  per- 
missible, it  would  have  been  advisable  now. 

"  I  understand  that  his  wife  has  been  trying  to  secure 
a  divorce  for  some  time,  but  that  he  will  not  grant  it.  It 
is  in  the  courts  now,  or  has  been.  It  may  have  been 
settled  recently,  and  I  not  have  heard  of  it,  but  I  do  not 

79 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

think  so.     There  is  a  lot  of  very  bad  talk  about  him." 
His  forehead  was  full  of  wrinkles  again. 

A  sinking  sensation  came  over  her  at  this  information, 
but  she  struggled  to  show  no  sign  of  it.  A  feeling  of 
contempt  for  Fullerton  gained  possession  of  her,  as  she 
replied : 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Fullerton,  that  I  will  choose  my  com- 
panions without  any  aid  from  friends." 

"  Sure,  sure.  I  do  not  mean  to  meddle.  I  know  noth- 
ing against  Adams  of  a  certainty.  It  may  all  be  black- 
mail. I  am  not  blaming  him,  or  anyone  else,  for  wishing 
to  be  with  you.  But  you  have  never  ridden  with  me,  and 
I  am  not  so  much  as  engaged  to  be  married — though  I 
should  like  to  be."  This  last  in  his  jovial,  laughing  way. 

"  You  have  never  asked  me  to  ride  with  you." 

"  Then  I  ask  you  now  to  go  with  me  next  Sunday 
afternoon,"  glowing. 

"  I  have  promised  to  go  with  Mr.  Adams  then."  This 
gave  her  a  little  taste  of  revenge,  but  her  companion  was 
not  so  easily  downed. 

"  Then  make  it  Friday  evening  with  me,"  he  persisted. 

Out  of  pure  bravery,  Myrnie  agreed.  You  may  be 
sure  Fullerton  was  on  hand  on  Friday  evening,  making 
his  silly  jokes  and  laughing  at  them  himself. 

"  Are  you  intending  to  go  with  Adams  on  Sunday  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  I  told  you  that  I  was,"  she  replied  emphatically. 

"  I  warn  you  not  to  go,"  and  he  covered  his  forehead 
with  the  wrinkles. 

"  I  shall  not  heed  your  warning."  Myrnie's  head  was 
in  the  air.  She  was  ready  for  battle.  Let  the  enemy 
come  on. 

80 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  He  is  not  divorced.  I  have  taken  the  pains  to  find 
out.  I  have  talked  with  his  wife,  a  lovely  little  woman, 
and  the  supporter  of  two  children." 

"  Of  course,  that  was  a  part  of  your  business,"  she 
said,  sarcastically. 

"  But,  my  dear  little  girl,  my  aim  is  to  protect  you," 
he  said,  laying  a  hand  caressingly  on  hers. 

"  Perhaps  you  need  some  one  to  protect  you  first. 
The  '  blind  lead  the  blind  and  they  both  fall  in  the  ditch/ 
you  know."  She  pushed  the  hand  off  roughly. 

Fullerton  enjoyed  a  laugh  alone.  "  You  ought  to  hear 
his  wife's  story;  she  can  tell  you  what  he  is,"  gathering 
up  his  slack  lines. 

"  I  think  she  would  do  well  to  refrain  from  disgracing 
her  children  by  voicing  such  things  about  their  father. 
I  find  Mr.  Adams  a  gentleman." 

"  I  am  not  blaming  him,  or  anyone  else,  for  wishing 
to  be  with  you,  as  I  told  you  before,"  laughing  his  dis- 
gustingly good-natured  laugh. 

"  Neither  do  I,"  she  said,  with  contemptuous  independ- 
ence. 

"  Not  even  me  ?  "  speaking  in  low  tones,  and  placing 
his  hand  on  her  arm,  with  his  face  close  to  her. 

"  Oh,  you  ?  You  do  not  count.  You  are  immune," 
and  she  drew  closer  into  her  corner. 

His  sides  shook  with  laughter,  while  he  added,  "  Per- 
haps I  can  prove  the  contrary  to  you."  He  placed  his 
free  arm  about  her.  She  wrenched  herself  free,  and  told 
him  to  take  her  home  at  once.  It  was  growing  dark,  and 
they  were  several  miles  from  home. 

"  Then  you  do  not  like  me  little  bittie  ?  "  again  taking 
hold  of  her. 

81 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  No,  Mr.  Fullerton,  not  in  that  way." 

"Can't  I  kiss  little  girlie?" 

"  No,"  she  screamed.  "  Get  away,  and  do  not  touch 
me." 

"  All  right."  He  sat  far  over  on  his  side  of  the  seat. 
They  drove  a  mile  or  two  in  a  homeward  direction  on 
the  smooth,  hard  road  without  a  word. 

"  Are  you  mad  with  me  ?  "  he  asked,  sorrowfully. 

"  Never  mind  that,  Mr.  Fullerton;  just  take  me  home. 
I  did  not  expect  to  come  out  here  to  be  insulted." 

"  Oh,  you  did  not  ?  "  He  laughed  all  over,  as  though 
he  thought  it  a  very  great  joke.  Presently  he  stopped 
the  horse,  remarking,  "  Guess  this  poor  beast  is  tired,  and 
wants  to  rest." 

"  But  how  late  it  will  be  when  we  get  home,"  she  pro- 
tested. 

"Aren't  afraid  of  me,  are  you?" 

"  No  indeed,  sir,  I  am  not.  Who  could  be  afraid  of 
you?" 

"  Then  I  will  make  you  afraid."  He  caught  her 
roughly,  his  hot  breath  against  her  face. 

"  Old  fool,  old  woman,  let  me  go."  But  these  were 
not  the  words  to  make  him  let  her  go.  He  laughed 
viciously,  and  made  a  remark  which  she  remembered 
years  after.  The  struggle  continued,  and  there  was  a 
moment  when  the  girl  thought  she  was  lost,  but  a  pro- 
pitious thought  came  to  her.  She  seized  his  hat  and 
threw  it  into  the  depths  of  the  dusty  road. 

"  Whoa,"  he  shouted,  and  started  for  the  hat.  When 
he  was  half  way  out  of  the  buggy,  Myrnie  seized  the 
whip,  wrenched  the  lines  from  his  hands,  and  striking 
the  horse  a  few  sharp  blows,  left  the  Superintendent 

82 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

lying  in  the  dusty  road.  He  jumped  and  ran  after  her, 
kicking  up  a  great  dust,  and  swearing  as  he  ran.  When 
Myrnie  reached  the  gate,  she  jumped  from  the  carriage, 
threw  the  lines  on  the  ground,  and,  giving  the  horse  a 
smart  slap  on  the  hip  with  the  palm  of  her  hand,  flew 
into  the  house,  frightened  almost  past  breathing.  Mrs. 
Long  and  her  son  were  in  bed  asleep.  No  one  knew  the 
manner  of  her  coming  in. 

By  the  time  he  reached  the  gate,  the  horse  was  trot- 
ting a  good  distance  ahead  of  him,  on  its  way  to  the 
stable  a  mile  away  in  Phoenix.  Fullerton  ran  after  it, 
shouting,  "  Whoa,  whoa,"  till  he  was  hoarse,  but  the 
wary  animal  kept  a  little  ahead  of  him  all  the  way.  Per- 
spiring, panting,  and  swearing,  after  a  run  of  two  miles, 
he  gave  a  plausible  excuse  to  the  hostler  at  the  stable, 
and  walked  home — a  wiser  and  sadder  man. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


WHEN  Myrnie  walked  into  town  the  next  day,  the 
Superintendent  was  seen  standing  by  the  gate,  some- 
time before  she  reached  his  dwelling  place.  On  nearer 
approach,  she  noticed  that  he  held  in  his  fat  hand  a 
boquet  of  beautiful  roses,  and  that  his  shining  counte- 
nance wore  an  expectant  smile.  He  came  to  the  fence 
as  she  approached,  saying: 

"  Good-evening,  little  girl ;  I  plucked  these  for  you 
myself."  Myrnie  passed  him  without  a  glance  in  his 
direction. 

"  But  you  can't  refuse  the  poor  innocent  flowers,"  and 
he  tossed  them  over  the  fence  to  her.  They  fell  in  the 
dusty  road  directly  in  the  way  of  her  lifted  foot.  She 
stepped  on  them,  crushing  the  fragrant  petals,  and  rend- 
ing them  from  their  stems.  A  little  thrill  of  regret  ran 
through  her,  as  she  saw  the  quivering  beauties  fall  to 
pieces ;  flowers  were  scarce,  and  she  loved  them  so ;  but, 
since  he  had  touched  them,  they  must  be  vile. 

Her  path  lay  along  the  high  board  fence  which  sur- 
rounded his  back  yard,  and  by  the  time  Myrnie  reached 
this  fence,  Fullerton  was  there,  trotting  along,  and  laugh- 
ing through  the  cracks  at  her,  trying  to  coax  her  into 
speaking. 

"  Are  you  really  so  angry  at  me  that  you  will  not  look 

84 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

at  me?  Look  here,  look,  look;  see  what  I  have  for 
you,"  but  she  only  passed  on,  as  though  no  one  were  near. 

When  she  returned,  walking  briskly,  like  one  quite 
satisfied  with  life,  Fullerton  was  on  hand,  calling  to  her 
and  looking  the  picture  of  distress.  All  his  efforts  were 
vain ;  she  would  not  be  reconciled. 

During  the  early  Sunday  forenoon,  Mrs.  Long  came 
into  Myrnie's  room,  and  informed  her  that  a  lady  was 
waiting  in  the  parlor  to  see  her.  Thinking  it  was  one 
of  her  trustees,  she  hurried  to  meet  her  visitor,  but  on 
entering  the  parlor  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  a 
perfect  stranger — a  small,  pretty  woman,  whose  black 
eyes  held  depths  of  excited  passion,  behind  which  there 
lurked  a  dancing  smile,  and  a  gleam  of  triumph. 

"  I  believe  this  is  Miss  Leston,"  the  stranger  said,  ris- 
ing and  extending  a  little,  flashily  jewelled  hand.  "  I 
am  Mrs.  Adams,  divorced  wife  of  W.  P.,  whom  I  believe 
you  have  met." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  but  Myrnie  was  so  confused,  she  took  the 
hand  with  anything  but  composure.  She  looked  her 
visitor  in  the  eye,  but  her  cheeks  grew  very  red.  "  I 
have  met  Mr.  Adams,  yes,  I  have  met  him;  sit  down, 
please,  Mrs.  Adams." 

"  Thank  you,"  and  the  little  lady  took  her  seat,  with  a 
nod  and  a  smile.  Myrnie,  feeling  that  she  was  smiling 
at  her  confusion,  became  instantly  composed. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  coming  to  see  you  for  several 
days,"  Mrs.  Adams  said,  "but,  until  this  morning,  I 
could  not  drum  up  the  courage.*' 

"  I  think  of  no  reason  why  you  should  lack  the  cour- 
age, Mrs.  Adams."  Myrnie  was  very  dignified  now. 

"  That  is  because  you  do  not  comprehend  the  true 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

state  of  affairs.  I  saw  you  often  when  you  passed  my 
house,  going  to  your  music  lessons,  I  supposed.  You 
looked  like  such  a  sincere,  pure  girl,  and  any  one  would 
know,  to  look  at  you,  that  your  aims  in  life  were  high. 
I  knew  about  what  your  life  was,  because  I  used  to  be 
like  that  myself.  Yes,  I  used  to  sit  and  watch  you,  and 
think  of  the  great  love  that  was  sure  to  come  to  a  girl 
like  you,  and  I  wondered  how  love  would  deal  with  you. 

"  As  I  looked  at  you,  I  have  asked  God  to  spare  you 
what  I  have  suffered  at  the  hands  of  a  man." 

Mrs.  Adams  paused  in  her  rapid  speech.  Myrnie  was 
looking  intently  at  her,  like  one  charmed;  Mrs.  Adams 
went  on: 

"  What  was  my  surprise  when  Superintendent  Fuller- 
ton  came  and  told  me  that  W.  P.  was  making  up  to  you." 

"  What  business  was  it  of  Fullerton's  ?  "  Myrnie  broke 
out. 

"  He  is  a  very  tender-hearted  and  good  man,  my 
child,  and  wished  to  save  you.  I  need  not  have  been 
surprised.  I  might  have  known  that  W.  P.  would  have 
discovered  you.  He  always  finds  them — such  girls  as 
you.  I  believe  that  man  can  scent  beauty  a  hundred 
miles  away,  and  he  is  always  on  the  scent.  But,  one 
woman's  life  is  enough  for  that  man  to  ruin.  I  feel  for 
any  girl  to  whom  he  takes  a  notion— he  invariably  brings 
her  to  shame.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  warn  those 
I  can  in  time,  and  that  is  why  I  am  here  this  morning. 
You  may  well  look  bewildered,  Miss  Leston.  I  know  he 
makes  a  good  appearance,  and  acts  trie  perfect  gentle- 
man at  first,  but  just  you  wait.  I  hear  you  have  been 
driving  with  him,  frequently." 

"  Oh,  no,  Mrs.  Adams,  not  frequently.  Mr.  Adams 

86 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

overtook  me  on  the  road  several  times,  when  I  was  walk- 
ing to  town,  and  when  I  found  that  he  was  from  Boston, 
and  knew  some  of  my  friends  up  there  I  rather  felt  that 
he  came  nearer  being  a  friend  of  mine  than  any  one  else 
down  here.  When  he  said  he  was  going  to  take  two 
Glendale  teachers  to  the  orange  grove,  and  asked  me  to 
go  with  them,  I  was  very  glad  to  go.  We  got  the  most 
orange  blossoms  that  day.  Mr.  Adams  seemed  such  a 
nice  man;  he  told  me  he  was  divorced,  and  I  supposed 
that  it  had  all  happened  years  ago." 

"  Who  were  the  teachers  from  Glendale  ?  "  she  asked 
quickly,  leaning  forward  in  her  chair,  in  her  eager  haste 
to  find  out. 

"  I  do  not  know.  They  did  not  come ;  he  told  me  the 
reason  why  then,  but  I  do  not  remember  now.  I  was 
eager  to  see  an  orange  orchard,  and  to  get  some  of  the 
flowers,  and  when  he  and  Mrs.  Long  both  urged  me,  I 
went  alone  with  him.  I  could  see  no  harm  in  it." 

"  No,  my  dear,  there  was  no  harm  in  that  if  W.  P.  had 
been  a  different  kind  of  man.  He  was  not  divorced  at 
that  time." 

"  Mercy,  mercy,"  Myrnie  exclaimed,  feeling  very  much 
disgraced. 

Mrs.  Adams  saw  that  she  was  making  headway.  "  I 
have  been  trying  to  get  a  divorce  from  that  man  for  six 
months.  He  has  fought  me  like  a  tiger,  and  said  I 
never  should  have  it.  But  he  allowed  the  decree  the 
next  day  after  he  took  you  for  that  drive.  That  you 
may  interpret  as  you  please.  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  lay  his 
case  plainly  and'  frankly  before  you,  then  you  may  do  as 
you  like.  No  Glendale  teachers  promised  to  go  to  the 
orchard  with  him.  Ah,  but  he  is  clever,  is  W.  P.  He 

87 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

really  is  a  wonderful  judge  of  human  nature.  He 
perceived  that  you  are  a  careful  girl  and  would  not  go 
alone  with  him  on  so  slight  an  acquaintance;  he  knew 
also  that  the  story  about  the  orange  blossoms  would  cap- 
ture you,  he  did  not  doubt  but  that  you  could  be  caught 
with  flowers."  The  lady  laughed  knowingly. 

"  Evidently  his  scheme  was  a  good  one,  and  worked 
just  as  he  planned  it,"  Myrnie  said  a  little  resentfully. 

"  Know  him  ?  I  know  him  like  a  book.  Glendale 
teachers  indeed !  There  is  not  a  girl  in  this  country,  ex- 
cept some  stranger  like  yourself,  who  would  be  caught 
with  him.  They  have  all  heard  about  the  Tyson  woman. 
Do  you  know,  Miss  Leston,  when  you  first  appeared  on 
the  horizon,  I  thought  you  were  the  Tyson  woman  come 
back  in  disguise.  You  resemble  her  some  at  a  distance, 
but  of  course  you  are  much  more  beautiful  than  she  was/' 

"  I  do  not  know  of  whom  you  speak,  Mrs.  Adams." 
Myrnie  was  horrified  and  dazed. 

"  No,  of  course,  you  don't  know,"  and  she  laughed 
merrily.  "  Well,  she  was  a  sport  he  took  up  with  here 
in  town,  and  when  I  made  it  too  warm  for  them,  he  goes 
to  Los  Angeles  and  she  to  Georgia.  But  after  a  month, 
my  detective  in  Los  Angeles  wrote  me  that  W.  P.  was 
running  a  rooming  house  over  there,  and  Miss  Tyson 
was  his  manager.  I  soon  broke  that  up.  He  came  back 
here  then,  but  not  before  Miss  Tyson  had  stolen  his 
three  hundred  dollar  diamond.  She  then  disappeared. 
I  would  fix  her,  if  I  could  find  her.  It  was  then  that  I 
commenced  my  suit  for  divorce.  I  wish  you  would 
promise  me,  Miss  Leston,  that  you  will  not  be  seen  with 
him  again.  This  is  for  your  own  good." 

"  I  shall  never  go  with  him  again,  Mrs.  Adams.  I  am 

88 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

very  grateful  to  you  for  this  visit.  I  am  so  glad  I  found 
him  out."  Myrnie  was  very  much  overwrought;  the 
enormity  of  his  sin  was  dawning  on  her. 

Mrs.  Adams  arose ;  she  wore  the  air  of  one  who  had 
gained  her  object.  But  she  looked  more  pale  and  broken 
than  when  she  had  come  in. 

"  You  must  come  to  see  me,"  she  said,  when  she 
reached  the  door.  "  I  have  two  of  the  loveliest  children 
in  the  world,  even  if  W.  P.  Adams  is  their  father.  Oh, 
he  can  be  a  good  man  when  he  wants  to,  Miss  Leston." 
Great  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks,  and  for  a  moment 
she  was  utterly  broken.  "  He  is  not  all,  all  bad,"  she 
added — ready  to  defend  against  another.  Myrnie  went 
with  her  to  the  fence. 

"  This  is  W.  P.'s  buggy,"  Mrs.  Adams,  said,  laughing 
and  growing  wickedly  mischievous.  "I  stole  it  the  evening 
before  I  got  my  divorce;  found  it  hitched  in  front  of  a 
saloon.  Good  thing  I  did  not  wait  twenty-four  hours 
longer,  or  I  should  have  had  no  right  to  take  it.  Like  to 
see  him  get  it  from  me  now,"  she  called  out  in  triumph, 
as  she  waved  a  parting  salute  at  the  quiet  girl  at  the  gate. 

Myrnie  went  to  her  room,  and  sat  in  deep  thought  for 
a  long  time.  She  felt  this  woman's  triumph  over  her — • 
the  hardest  thing  in  life  for  a  woman  to  submit  to. 
Myrnie  did  not  like  others  to  form  her  opinions  for  her. 
It  had  always  been  her  great  fault,  her  English  aunt  had 
frequently  told  her,  to  doubt  everything  she  was  told  re- 
lating to  life,  unless  she  could  prove  it  for  herself.  This 
disposition  had  led  her  over  many  stony  ways,  and  had 
been  the  cause  of  many  a  hard  fall,  but  still  she  followed 
the  path  bravely.  Even  when  a  child,  she  had  a  mania 
for  proving  things.  When  told  that  wood  alcohol  was 

89 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Yard.  No  matter  how  clever  I  think  I  am,  she  smokes 
me  out  I  was  down  at  the  house  this  morning  to  see 
the  children,  while  she  was  here  I  reckon — I  saw  her 
drive  up  from  this  way.  She  tied  her  horse  to  the  fence 
and  came  round  the  back  way.  I  slid  out  the  front  door, 
jumped  into  her  buggy  and  drove  away  without  her  see- 
ing me.  This  is  my  rig;  the  little  mischief  stole  it  from 
me.  I  do  not  expect  to  keep  it  long,  now.  She  will 
manage  some  scheme  to  get  it  from  me.  She  outwits  me 
every  time." 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Adams  told  me  about  that,  and  much 
more,"  Myrnie  answered. 

"  But  say,  Miss  Leston,"  Adams  broke  out  pleadingly, 
"do  not  count  this  time.  Do  please  come  with  me  this 
last  time.  I  need  your  company  this  evening — I  want 
your  advice — I  must  talk  to  someone.  I  swear  you  are 
the  only  woman  I  have  ever  known  who  made  me  feel 
the  need  of  being  a  better  man.  Guess  I  have  been  a 
devil  all  my  life.  If  you  win  come  with  me,  I  promise  to 
drive  on  unfrequented  roads,  so  Bertie  will  not  see  yon 
with  me." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  having  Bertie  sec  me  with  you," 
Myrnie  ejaculated. 

"Oh,  yes,  you  are;  you  are  afraid."  Adams  had 
found  his  lead. 

"  I  promised  Mrs.  Adams  that  I  would  not  go  out  with 
you  again." 

"  Oh,  she  wrung  that  promise  from  you,  I  wifl 
wager,"  and  Adams  was  laughing  again.  "  I  can  give 
that  woman  credit  for  being  clever.'* 

"  And  pretty,"  Myrnie  added. 

Adams  looked  at  her  in  surprise.  "Pretty?  Ten 

92 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

nature  spoke  to  her,  and  she  resented  the  fact  that  Mrs. 
Adams  had  taken  advantage  of  her  at  an  impulsive  mo- 
ment, and  had  wrung  the  promise  from  her  not  to  go  out 
with  her  husband  again. 

"  I  just  do  not  believe  he  is  so  awfully  bad,"  she  wil- 
fully told  herself. 

The  girl  was  sitting  on  the  veranda  in  front  of  the 
house  that  afternoon,  enjoying  the  warm  winter  sun- 
shine, when  Mr.  Adams  drove  up  to  the  gate.  He 
jumped  from  the  vehicle  with  the  nimbleness  of  youth, 
tethered  his  horse  to  the  post,  and  sauntered  gaily  up  the 
path.  There  was  no  coldness  in  the  smile  with  which 
Myrnie  returned  his  beaming  salute.  She  invited  him  to 
come  up  and  sit  down. 

"  Had  we  not  better  start  at  once  ?  "  he  asked,  feeling 
very  sure  of  himself. 

"  I  think  I  have  decided  not  to  go,  Mr.  Adams/'  with 
a  pleased  smile. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  He  looked  his  surprised  disappoint- 
ment. "  I  am  sure  the  weather  is  without  a  flaw." 

"  I  had  a  visitor  this  morning,  who  brought  me  strange 
rumors.  She  came  in  that  same  conveyance  there,  and 
drove  that  same  horse  there  by  the  gate,"  Myrnie  in- 
formed him,  watching  a  new  kind  of  surprise  creep  over 
his  face.  At  first  he  looked  dumbfounded,  then  puzzled, 
then  the  light  began  to  break  in  upon  him.  He  threw 
back  his  head,  and  broke  into  the  most  mirth-provoking 
laughter  one  ever  heard. 

"  The  little  devil,  that  little  devil ! "  but  this  was  as  far 
as  he  could  get.  Still  laughing,  he  tried  to  explain. 

"  That  woman  is  the  best  detective  that  ever  lived. 
She  can  beat  anything  that  ever  walked  in  Scotland 

91 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Yard.  No  matter  how  clever  I  think  I  am,  she  smokes 
me  out.  I  was  down  at  the  house  this  morning  to  see 
the  children,  while  she  was  here  I  reckon — I  saw  her 
drive  up  from  this  way.  She  tied  her  horse  to  the  fence 
and  came  round  the  back  way.  I  slid  out  the  front  door, 
jumped  into  her  buggy  and  drove  away  without  her  see- 
ing me.  This  is  my  rig ;  the  little  mischief  stole  it  from 
me.  I  do  not  expect  to  keep  it  long,  now.  She  will 
manage  some  scheme  to  get  it  from  me.  She  outwits  me 
every  time." 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Adams  told  me  about  that,  and  much 
more,"  Myrnie  answered. 

"  But  say,  Miss  L/eston,"  Adams  broke  out  pleadingly, 
"do  not  count  this  time.  Do  please  come  with  me  this 
last  time.  I  need  your  company  this  evening — I  want 
your  advice — I  must  talk  to  someone.  I  swear  you  are 
the  only  woman  I  have  ever  known  who  made  me  feel 
the  need  of  being  a  better  man.  Guess  I  have  been  a 
devil  all  my  life.  If  you  will  come  with  me,  I  promise  to 
drive  on  unfrequented  roads,  so  Bertie  will  not  see  you 
with  me." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  having  Bertie  see  me  with  you," 
Myrnie  ejaculated. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  are ;  you  are  afraid."  Adams  had 
found  his  lead. 

"  I  promised  Mrs.  Adams  that  I  would  not  go  out  with 
you  again." 

"  Oh,  she  wrung  that  promise  from  you,  I  will 
wager,"  and  Adams  was  laughing  again.  "  I  can  give 
that  woman  credit  for  being  clever." 

"  And  pretty,"  Myrnie  added. 

Adams  looked  at  her  in  surprise.  "  Pretty?  Ten 

92 


In  the  Land  of  Hxtremet. 

years    ago    she    was    the    prettiest    woman    that    ever 
breathed.    My  God,  she  was  pretty." 

"  She  is  a  beautiful  and  charming  woman  yet,"  the 
girl  told  him. 

He  looked  at  her  wonderingly  as  she  said  this.  He 
was  not  used  to  hearing  one  woman  praise  another.  This 
must  be  a  new  breed,  he  thought.  His  own  black-eyed 
Bertie  had  always  disparaged  every  woman,  in  her  vain 
attempt  to  keep  her  husband  for  herself. 

"  Yes,  she  is  pretty — she  is  pretty,"  losing  himself  in 
thought.  "  Yes,  she  is  pretty,  but  a  little  faded  now." 

"  Very  few  women  are  so  well  preserved  at  her  age," 
he  was  told. 

"  And  so  she  made  you  promise  not  to  go  with  me,  did 
she  ?  "  Adams  was  chuckling  to  himself. 

"  She  did  not  make  me  promise,  Mr.  Adams,  I  assure 
you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  dared  you  to  go,  and  you  are  afraid,  and 
take  her  dare.  I  know  Bertie,  she  has  a  way  of  daring 
people  to  do  things,  and  they  never  recognize  the  dare 
till  it  is  too  late.  You  took  her  dare,  all  right." 

"  Humph !  "  was  all  the  girl  said,  but  she  was  deeply 
annoyed.  During  the  silence  of  several  minutes,  Myrnie 
had  time  to  think  of  Fullerton. 

"  Mr.  Adams,"  she  exclaimed,  starting  up,  "  I  think 
I  will  get  my  hat.  This  one  time  I  think  I  will  go  with 
you,  if  you  will  drive  me  up  past  Superintendent  Fuller- 
ton's  house.  I  wish  him  to  see  me  with  you." 

This  pleased  Mr.  Adams  immensely.  He  chuckled  to 
himself.  "  You  must  have  some  old  score  to  pay  off, 
too." 

"  I  have,"  was  all  she  said. 

93 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Fullerton  saw  them,  of  course.  They  caught  him 
peeping  around  a  door,  and  they  had  great  sport  over 
it.  They  then  turned  abruptly  around,  and  went  spin- 
ning back  on  the  same  way  they  had  come.  They  soon 
turned  off  on  an  old  dim  wood-road,  at  his  suggestion, 
which  led  them  miles  and  miles  out  through  the  mesquite 
and  cacti,  and  to  nowhere. 

During  the  first  mile,  which  was  driven  in  silence,  they 
both  knew  they  had  chosen  this  road  through  fear  of 
being  seen  together,  and  this  sent  a  thrill  of  shame 
through  them  both. 


94 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


MR.  ADAMS  was  thinking  very  seriously  now.  His 
wife's  visit  to  Myrnie  did  not  appear  amusing  at  all. 
No,  it  was  decidedly  not  amusing.  It  broke  into  all  his 
plans,  if  he  had  any  very  definite  ones. 

"What  did  Mrs.  Adams  tell  you  about  me?"  he 
asked  abruptly. 

"  She  told  me  about  the  Tyson  woman  for  one  thing," 
Myrnie  answered. 

"  I  reckon  all  she  told  you  about  the  Tyson  woman  was 
true,"  was  his  sober  reply. 

"Oh,  you  admit  it,  then?" 

"  Why  not  admit  things,  if  they  are  true  ?  Supposing 
I  denied  it.  You  would  believe  Bertie,  anyway." 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  should." 

Myrnie  was  thinking  seriously,  too.  This  situation, 
and  the  conversation,  seemed  intolerable  to  her.  She 
knew  she  should  not  be  here,  and  put  out  her  hand,  as 
though  to  draw  the  lines  and  stop  the  horse. 

"Mr.  Adams,  let  us  go  back,  this  desert  looks  so 
dreary." . 

"  You  do  not  mind  the  desert.  You  just  want  to  go 
back.  I  know  why,  too,  and  it  is  not  fair  to  me." 

"  Not  fair  to  you  ?  Why,  you  took  the  advantage  of 
me,  by  making  me  think  I  was  taking  a  dare." 

95 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  want  to  go  back,  I  will  turn  around 
and  do  so,  but  remember,  you  said  if  I  would  drive  you 
past  Superintendent  Fullerton's  house  you  would  go  with 
me  and  I  did  so,  though  I  would  rather  Fullerton  had 
not  seen  us  together.  But  if  you  are  going  back  on  your 
promise,  all  right.  But  I  want  to  drive  yet — that  is,  I 
should  like  to  talk  to  you  further.  There  are  some 
things  I  want  to  tell  you." 

She  looked  at  him  pityingly.  "  All  right,  Mr.  Adams, 
go  on."  Her  voice  trembled,  and  she  prayed  to  God  to 
be  made  stronger,  and  able  to  meet  this  thing  that  he 
was  going  to  tell  her. 

He  noticed  the  fear  in  her  voice,  and  said  very  ten- 
derly : 

"  Please  trust  me,  Miss  Leston.  I  wouldn't — 
wouldn't  harm  you  for  the  world,  and  I  should  defend 
you  against  any  danger  with  my  life.  You  do  not 
know  how  you  affect  me.  You  make  me  want  to  be 
good.  It  is  not  that  you  preach  at  me,  but -you  seem  to 
understand,  and  that  is  so  much  help.  Then  you  are  so 
good  yourself,  and  I  see  in  you  the  natural  reward  of 
right  living.  I  do  want  to  be  an  honorable  man."  His 
voice  was  trembling  more  than  hers,  and  he  could 
hardly  control  the  last  words.  She  looked  into  his  eyes, 
smiled  kindly,  and  they  drove  on. 

After  awhile,  he  spoke  again.  "  Dora  Tyson  was 
rather  a  sweet  girl  in  her  way.  She  satisfied  my  desire  for 
diversion  at  that  time.  Of  course,  I  have  forgotten  her 
long  ago."  He  did  not  know  that  these  casual  words 
sent  horror  to  the  girl's  sensitive  nature.  His  own  con- 
science was  so  calloused,  it  could  not  know  the  more 

96 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes 

sensitive  dictates  of  right  living.     He  laughed  a  little 
at  some  piquant  memory,  and  continued: 

"  Nothing  seemed  to  amuse  Dora  so  much  as  torment- 
ing Bertie.  That  girl  had  her  completely  wild  all  the 
time,  and  Bertie  hated  her  worse  than  any  girl  I  ever 
made  love  to.  Dora  sent  Bertie  some  letters,  in  which 
I  had  spoken  of  Dora's  heavenly  blue  eyes;  I  think  that 
was  the  bitterest  pill  poor  Bertie  ever  had  to  swallow. 
She  never  did  care  as  much  if  I  looked  at  a  brunette, 
but,  oh,  a  blonde,  a  'nasty,  washy  blonde,'  as  she  always 
called  them." 

Myrnie  was  struggling  hard  with  herself.  In  all  her 
young  life  such  morals  were  unknown.  Mr.  Adams  ap- 
peared to  be  a  just  man,  after  his  way  of  thinking.  She 
felt  it  her  duty  to  help  him.  She  wished  to  put  him 
right. 

"  I  am  sure  your  wife  was  justified  in  her  feeling 
toward  the  woman,  Mr.  Adams." 

"  Yes,  but  Bertie  has  always  been  so  insanely  jealous, 
and  is  to  this  day,  even  though  we  are  divorced.  I  sup- 
pose it  is  the  Vigorous  vintage  of  old  Spain'  that  flows 
through  her  veins.  She  has  Castilian  blood,  you  know. 
But  I  do  not  believe  I  ever  should  have  gone  astray,  if 
Bertie  had  not  expected  it  of  me.  She  always  mis- 
trusted me  and  threw  the  vilest  accusations  at  me,  before 
I  ever  thought  of  looking  at  another  woman.  She  used 
to  spy  on  me,  and  follow  me,  and  even  hired  a  girl  to  try 
to  tempt  me.  I  was  as  true  as  steel  to  that  woman  dur- 
ing the  first  years  of  our  married  life,  but  she  finally 
drove  me  to  dishonesty  by  her  mistrust  of  me." 

"  That  was  her  very  great  mistake,"  Myrnie  an- 
swered, but  she  was  getting  a  better  idea  of  the  manner 

97 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  man  before  her.  She  believed  him  to  be  one  of  those 
uncertain  individuals,  who  instinctively  know  what  you 
think  of  them,  and  live  up  to  the  expectation  in  each  case. 

"  Bertie  would  not  bring  those  Tyson  letters  into 
court.  Did  not  even  show  them  to  her  lawyer.  Her 
plea  is  for  non-support  and  cruelty,  of  which  there  is  no 
shadow  of  proof.  She  never  mentioned  infidelity.  If 
she  had  produced  those  letters,  she  might  have  had  her 
divorce  long  ago;  they  reeked  of  infidelity,  but,  no,  she 
was  too  proud  to  have  it  appear  that  I  cared  for  others. 
Nothing  but  her  tiger  jealousy  brought  her  to  you  this 
morning.  She  does  not  care  for  your  welfare,  as  she 
told  you.  She  was  only  fighting  for  herself,  and  trying 
to  defeat  me.  How  desperately  that  woman  has 
fought  every  attachment  I  have  ever  formed.  She  has 
always  beaten  me,  too,  and  kept  me  for  herself,  in  spite 
of  my  best  efforts." 

Myrnie  leaned  back  in  the  carriage,  closely  observing 
him,  as  he  sat  revealing  a  wife's  tragedy  in  his  devil- 
don't-care  way,  laughing  here  and  there  at  the  most  vital 
points.  She  had  an  idea,  and  wishing  to  test  it,  re- 
marked : 

"  Why,  Mr.  Adams,  that  woman  is  a  heroine,  can't  you 
see  that?"  He  gave  a  guilty  start,  which  showed  his 
surprise.  He  could  say  nothing,  and  the  girl  went  on, 
"  She  has  been  fighting  to  protect  her  children,  and  has 
had  no  one  to  help  her.  I  admire  her  for  refusing  to 
bring  so  vile  an  accusation  against  the  father  of  her  chil- 
dren. Can't  you  see  that  she  felt  a  need  of  being  free 
from  you,  and  yet  she  would  not  disgrace  them?  A 
mother's  strongest  feeling  is  to  protect  her  children." 

He  did  not  reply,  but  Myrnie  thought  she  saw  his  eyes 

98 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

grow  filmy  and  moist,  as  he  looked  over  the  broad  desert 
before  him. 

"  I  have  always  thought,"  she  went  on,  to  further  test 
her  idea,  "  that  a  jealous  person  only  judges  another  per- 
son by  himself.  He  accuses  those  about  him  of  being 
untrue,  because  he  himself  receives  undue  attention." 

Mr.  Adams  was  up  in  a  minute.  "No,  no,"  he  pro- 
tested quickly.  "  No  one  could  ever  make  me  think 
such  a  thing  of  Bertie,  not  for  one  minute.  No,  sir ;  she 
cared  only  for  me,  and  has  always  been  as  loyal  and  lov- 
ing as  a  wife  could  be." 

"  I  believe  you  love  her  to  this  day,  Mr.  Adams." 

"  I  do,"  he  said,  facing  her.  "  Do  you  think  I  could 
cease  to  love  her  so  soon?  I — she  is — that  is,  well,  she 
has  borne  me  two  lovely  children,  and  I  have  lived  with 
her  for  fifteen  years.  I  respect  my  wife,  that  is,  Mrs. 
Adams,  you  know.  I  respect  her  very  highly.  But  I 
am  sure  I  could  forget  her  in  time,  and  love  some  one 
else  just  as  much." 

"  But  why  seek  another  when  you  have  her  ?  Why, 
Mr.  Adams,  did  you  ever  become  untrue,  and  spoil  so 
much  happiness  ?  " 

"  Why — well  that — strange  as  it  may  seem — is  a  thing 
I  can  not  explain,  or  even  understand  myself.  But,  hell, 
how  can  a  fellow  help  it?  There  are  so  many  charming 
women,  wanting  to  be  loved.  They  come  around  a  fel- 
low, and  put  themselves  in  his  way,  and  make  themselves 
so  attractive.  It  is  such  rare  sport  capturing  them,  and 
taming  them.  Far  better  than  shooting  big  game.  Oh, 
I  reckon  I  am  just  a  mean  devil.  I  reckon  coming  from 
Tennessee  has  something  to  do  with  it.  I  was  reared  in 
Tennessee,"  he  laughed,  and  went  on: 

99 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  I  have  never  in  all  my  life  seen  a  pretty  woman  that 
I  did  not  want  to  make  love  to  her,  not  that  I  care  for 
them  for  any  length  of  time,  but  I  believe  it  is  some- 
thing like  this;  before  marriage,  love  is  full  of  that 
witching  glamor  of  romance.  After  the  babies  come, 
that  vanishes,  though  you  love  your  wife  dearly.  But 
life  becomes  a  bread-and-butter  proposition,  common- 
place and  insipid.  I  have  never  wished  to  lose  sight  of 
romance,  and  by  these  flirtations  I  have  been  able  to 
keep  romance  deliciously  near.  Now  I  should  prefer  to 
remain  Bertie's  husband,  and  have  her  and  the  children 
to  satisfy  the  father  instinct  in  me,  which  instinct  I  seem 
to  possess  in  full  measure.  And  still  I  want  full  free- 
dom to  flirt,  and  drift  back  into  boyhood  at  times.  Flirt- 
ing makes  a  boy  of  me,  and  I  have  above  all  things 
dreaded  to  say  farewell  to  boyhood.  Oh,  I  am  just  a 
mean  devil ;  I  have  no  excuse  to  offer  for  myself.  I  have 
been  entirely  to  blame."  , 

Myrnie  thought  over  this  for  a  time,  but  said'  nothing. 
She  could  scarcely  comprehend  it  all.  But  she  took  up 
a  new  line  of  questioning. 

"  Mrs.  Adams  told  me  that  you  did  not  grant  the  di- 
vorce till  after  you  had  driven  me  to  the  orchard,  and 
that  no  Glendale  teachers  ever  promised  to  go  with  you 
on  that  trip." 

"That  is  all  very  true,  but  I  wonder  how  under  the  sun 
that  woman  ever  found  that  out/'  This  seemed  very 
funny  to  him,  and  he  had  to  take  his  time  to  laugh  over  it. 

"  She  told  me  she  knew  you  better  than  a  book," 
Myrnie  added. 

"So  she  does.  Bertie  is  not  a  very  bookish  woman. 
She  doesn't  know  many  books.  But  that  first  evening, 

100 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

after  I  met  you  and  conversed  with  you,  was  my  first 
intention  of  letting  her  get  her  divorce.  And,  consider- 
ing myself  as  good  as  divorced,  I  thought  there  was  no 
harm  in  telling  you  I  was.  Bertie  was  the  most  surprised 
and  crushed  woman  in  the  world  that  next  morning, 
when  I  gave  in  suddenly,  and  the  thing  was  done  before 
she  realized  it.  She  did  not  want  a  divorce,  did  not  think 
I  would  ever  let  her  have  it.  She  was  simply  giving  me 
a  scare,  as  she  thought,  schooling  me  not  to  go  after  any 
more  Tyson  women.  She  got  caught  up  with  for  once. 
But,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  never  thought  I  should  consent 
to  the  separation  till  after  I  had  met  you  that  first  even- 
ing. I  had  intended  to  go  to  Bertie,  make  her  some 
promises,  and  have  her  withdraw  the  divorce  business. 
I  was  in  the  court  room  that  morning  when  the  divorce 
was  granted.  The  woman  looked  liked  death.  I  pitied 
her.  I  went  to  her  afterward,  and  said,  'Bertie,  I  have 
a  carriage  here  and  will  drive  you  down  to  the  house, 
as  soon  as  not,  if  you  wish.'  She  was  pale  and  trembling, 
and  could  not  speak,  but  she  came  with  me.  As  soon  as 
she  was  in  the  carriage,  she  commenced  to  cry.  I  have 
never  seen  any  one  so  utterly  broken.  It  hurt  me  more 
than  I  can  tell,  to  think  she  was  not  my  wife,  not  my 
Bertie  any  more,  as  I  sat  there  looking  at  her  grief.  She 
begged  me  never  to  marry  again,  said  she  would  follow 
me  to  the  end  of  the  earth,  and  kill  the  woman  if  I  ever 
did.  But  I  told  her  I  could  make  her  no  promises,  that 
this  was  all  her  own  doing." 

"Did  you  have  any  intention  of  keeping  the  promises 
you  said  you  would  have  made  her,  had  you  asked  her  to 
withdraw  her  plea  for  divorce?"  Myrnie  asked. 

101 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"Can't  say  that  I  thought  anything  about  keeping, 
them/'  he  told  her. 

"Then  how  could  you  make  such  promises?"  she 
asked  angrily. 

"Well,  for  the  sake  of  my  children.  I  love  them  with 
all  the  strength  of  my  being,  and  oh,  Miss  Leston,  how 
they  do  love  me.  This  morning,  when  I  went  to  leave 
them,  they  clung  to  my  neck  and  begged  me  not  to  go 
away.  They  can  not  understand  why  I  must  go.  I  could 
hardly  tear  myself  away  'from  them."  The  man  sighed 
wearily. 

"But,"  interrupted  the  girl,  "why  did  your  meeting  me 
have  anything  to  do  with  your  allowing  the  divorce?" 

Adams  sat  nervously  fingering  the  lines,  trying  to 
smile;  but  his  smile  was  a  failure.  It  was  only  a  forced 
puckering  of  the  muscles  about  the  mouth,  he  only 
"pulled  a  face"  as  children  say,  for  his  mental  attitude 
was  not  a  smiling  one. 

They  had  stopped  the  horse  far  out  in  the  midst  of  the 
desert,  but  were  in  the  shade  of  a  clump  of  trees  where 
there  was  a  spring.  Here  tall  cat-tails  grew,  and  a  few 
late,  purple  and  yellow  flowers  bloomed.  The  desert 
spread  its  forlorn  lap  about  them,  far  and  wide.  The  sun 
still  beat  down  hot,  parching  the  stubborn  desert  growth 
everywhere,  except  in  this  shade;  here  was  rest  and 
some  verdure. 

Myrnie  looked  steadily  at  her  companion,  expecting  an 
answer.  After  a  little,  he  looked  at  her  soberly,  and, 
clearing  his  throat,  said, 

"  I  may  as  well  be  truthful,  since  this  seems  the  time 
of  telling  the  truth.  I  felt  after  I  knew  you,  that  if  I 
could  win  you,  I  could  easily  give  up  wife,  babies  and 

102 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

all.    You  are  my  affinity."    He  took  her  hand  and  held 
it  firmly  looking  into  her  eyes. 

She  was  mystified.  She  could  not  understand  this, 
and,  allowing  him  to  keep  her  hand,  said,  "  Oh,  no,  Mr. 
Adams,  I  am  another  man's  affinity.  He  said  so  and  I 
could  not  be  the  affinity  of  two  men.  You  are  mistaken." 

"You  are  the  only  woman  who  ever  inspired  me  with 
a  desire  to  lead  the  right  kind  of  life.  I  felt  it  from  the 
first  moment  I  saw  you.  I  seemed  fully  to  see  the  folly 
of  my  past  life  and  I  wished  to  live  differently.  You 
could  change  my  life.  You  lift  me  to  my  highest  and 
best.  I  still  have  hopes  of  being  a  good  man." 

To  his  dismay,  the  girl  from  whom  he  expected  sym- 
pathy just  now,  made  the  desert  echo  and  ring  with  her 
amused  laugh, 

"But,  Mr.  Adams,  your  wife  would  follow  me  and  kill 
me.  It  is  pretty  dangerous  diversion  you  are  seeking 
now,  to  satisfy  your  craving  for  romance.  Think  of  it. 
How  absurd." 

"Is  it  so  absurd  that  a  man  should  love  you?"  He 
was  a  little  piqued. 

"  But  think  of  the  difference  in  our  ages.  Do  you  think 
a  young  girl  like  me  with  all  the  eager  hope  of  living 
before  her  would  take  a  man  of  your  own  age  to  reform 
him?  How  selfish  you  are.  Poor  Mrs.  Adams." 

"Who  is  the  man  who  called  you  his  affinity?"  His 
Tennessee  blood  was  raging. 

"He?  Oh,  he,  well — I  am  engaged  to  be  married  to 
a  young  man  in  Nova  Scotia.  I  love  him  very  much." 
Surely  that  God  did  not  register  this  lie  against  the  girl. 

"Of  course,  fool  that  I  was  to  hope.  You  are  too  good 
for  me.  I  know  that  well." 

103 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"If  you  really  want  to  be  honorable,  and  to  lead  the 
right  kind  of  life,  there  is  but  one  thing  for  you  to  do, 
as  I  see  it,"  she  said. 

"Marry  my  wife,"  interrupted  Adams.  "Perhaps  she 
would  not  have  me  now.  I  have  grown  careless  of  my 
dress  of  late  years.  I  used  to  take  great  pride  in  my 
dress,  and  how  Bertie  doted  on  me.  Said  I  was  the  hand- 
somest man  in  the  world.  Yes,  how  she  petted  me  and 
flattered  me.  Guess  I  will  dress  up  and  ga  and  win  her 
over  again."  Since  he  thought  his  effort  to  win  this 
girl  was  hopeless,  he  turned  his  thought  into  an  entirely 
different  channel. 

"If,  as  you  say,  Mr.  Adams,  I  have  any  good  influence 
over  you  at  all,  that  influence  would  cause  you  to  go 
back  to  your  wife  and  children.  That  would  have  to  be 
your  first  step  in  any  attempt  to  lead  the  right  kind  of 
life.  Your  idea  about  me  was  only  one  of  those  foolish 
impulses  about  romance,  and  clinging  to  boyhood.  You 
can  be  a  boy  in  spirit  without  doing  those  foolish  things. 
Your  clandestine  experiences  during  your  wedded  life 
have  brought  you  no  real  happiness.  What  have  they 
brought,  indeed,  but  shame  and  suffering  to  yourself, 
and  to  those  whom  you  love.  Those  idle  wanderings 
after  other  women,  and  what  kind  of  women  have  they 
been,  and  what  have  they  given  you  that  could  take  the 
place  of  the  pure  love  of  your  little  babies?  You  are 
a  good  man,  Mr.  Adams.  You  love  your  family  dearly. 
You  have  proven  that  to  me  in  many  ways  this  afternoon. 
You  are  a  good  man,  a  good  man.  But  you  will  re- 
proach yourself  always,  if  you  do  not  go  back  to  this 
good  woman.  Poor  Mrs.  Adams." 

She  turned  her  back  to  him  and  looked  far  off.  The 

104 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

awful  silence  of  the  desert  enveloped  them,  and  made 
their  thoughts  burn  within  their  brains.  Myrnie  felt 
that  she  must  scream.  This  strain  was  too  great  for  her. 
Was  he  right?  Was  she  right?  Or  had  all  the  things 
she  had  been  taught  been  false?  Those  principles  upon 
which  she  had  based  life  and  happiness ;  had  they  lied  to 
her,  had  they  covered  the  truth  from  her?  His  argu- 
ments had  impressed  her  deeply;  sometimes  she  had 
almost  thought  he  was  right,  but  she  had  not  dared  to 
give  up.  She  must  prove  that  her  theory  was  right,  for 
it  seemed  best  to  her.  Again  she  prayed  to  be  made 
strong. 

"  Did  you  say  that  I  am  good  ?  Is  there  any  possibility 
of  future  goodness  left  in  me,"  he  asked,  deeply  moved. 

"  Why,  of  course  there  is,  Mr.  Adams.  Through  all 
this  veneer  of  filth  with  which  you  have  allowed  your- 
self to  become  covered,  I  can  see  the  really  good  man 
that  you  really  are.  You  wish  to  be  honorable.  I  under- 
stand it  all  so  well.  None  of  this  has  really  tainted  your 
soul ;  it  can  all  be  cleared  away,  and  then  you  will  be  the 
good  man  that  you  started  out  to  be.  Romance  and  boy- 
hood are  conditions  to  be  kept  near.  You  have  only 
taken  a  wrong  path  to  find  them.  We  all  have  this  dual 
nature.  I  have  it  in  full  measure — " 

"  You,  you  ?  "  he  broke  in. 

"  Yes,  me.  But  he  who  is  wise  will  not  let  the  bad 
that  is  in  him  run  rampant.  Evil  must  be  overcome  with 
good.  You  are  no  worse  than  the  rest  of  us,  only  you 
have  been*  unwise." 

These  words  Myrnie  remembered  from  the  lectures 
her  English  aunt  used  to  give  her,  and  she  used  them 
now  in  her  extremity  and  perplexity. 

105 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

He  laughed  in  a  relieved  way.  Myrnie  did  not  know 
the  comfort  her  words  had  given  him.  He  spoke  ab- 
ruptly, carried  away  with  a  new  kind  of  buoyancy. 

"  I  have  never  known  before  to-day  what  I  have  been 
seeking  all  my  life.  Now  I  know  that  I  have  always 
wanted  to  be  just  and  honorable.  I  am  the  kind  of  man 
who  must  be  led  aright  by  the  hand  of  some  woman,  and 
that  woman  must  believe  in  me.  To-day  you  say  I  am 
good.  By  George,  I  think  you  know  more  than  all  the 
rest  of  them.  Disreputable  as  I  have  been,  there  have 
always  been  times  when  I  longed  to  be  led  aright,  and 
I  believe  this  is  true  with  even  the  vilest  of  men.  But 
so  few  know  how  to  lead.  To-day  I  find  that  woman. 
My  secret  desires  have  mostly  been  good,  but  no  one 
ever  gave  me  credit  for  that.  You  are  the  only  one 
who  ever  knew  it.  They  all  told  me  I  was  the  meanest 
devil  alive.  My  old  step-mother  used  to  try  to  beat  it 
out  of  me.  Bertie  has  preached  sermons  about  it,  but 
they  did  not  believe  in  me,  or  give  me  any  encourage- 
ment to  be  better.  A  man  must  be  led  aright  by  the 
angel-hand  of  some  woman,  be  it  mother,  wife  or  sister. 
Mine  has  been  the  sister."  He  put  his  hand  caressingly 
over  hers,  then  took  it  up  and  kissed  it,  to  which  she  did 
not  object,  but  smiled  gratefully  at  him. 

"  I  can  not  tell  you  what  this  conversation  has  been 
to  me,"  he  said.  "  You  have  allowed  me  to  open  my 
heart  to  you,  to  let  out  all  its  pent-up  ideas.  These  I 
have  carried  about  with  me  for  years,  and  they  have 
scorched  and  burned  me.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do 
with  them,  but  you  have  been  broad  enough  to  listen, 
to  weigh  them,  and  to  interpret  them  aright  for  me. 
Where  is  the  other  woman  who  could  have  listened  to 

106 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

all  I  have  told  you,  and  still  have  had  patience  and 
charity  for  me?  And  you  are  so  young,  so  young?  " 

Myrnie  slid  out  of  the  buggy  and  left  him  to  himself. 
He  had  praised  her  for  her  charity?  If  he  had  known 
the  cost,  he  might  have  praised  her  still  more.  She  went 
to  the  spring  and  gathered  the  straggling  flowers,  as 
they  nodded  their  heads  and  smiled  at  her. 

A  man  past  middle  life  sat  in  the  carriage  sobbing 
over  wasted  youth.  There  had  been  no  angel  hand  to 
lead  him.  The  sound  of  his  sobs  came  to  Myrnie  now 
and  then,  and  made  the  desert  wide  and  dreary.  But 
when  she  looked  into  the  hoof-hollowed  pools  of  crystal 
water  about  the  spring,  and  saw  the  reflection  of  the 
great  dome  of  the  sky,  and  the  purple  daisies  bending 
over  and  peeping  at  her  through  these  mirrors,  the  sheer 
joy  of  youth  and  being  came  over  her,  and  she  forgot 
the  man  as  completely  as  though  he  had  never  existed. 
She  commenced  to  hum  and  sing  softly. 

She  was  only  a  little  girl  now,  and  commenced  talking 
to  the  daisies,  as  she  plucked  them  from  their  stems. 
"  Does  it  hurt,  poor  little  flowers  for  me  to  pull  your 
heads  off,  when  you  have  worked  so  hard  to  grow? 
Well,  you  know  that  is  just  the  way  this  life  is.  But 
you  will  have  something  to  do  now,  out  here  in  this 
lonesome  desert,  so  set  to  work  and  grow  some  more. 
We  mortals  are  only  a  manifestation  of  strife,  we  live 
by  strife  and — ,"  her  philosophy  was  cut  short,  for  the 
man  was  by  her  side.  His  face  was  firm  and  peaceful; 
bending  down,  he  said,  "  I  am  giving  myself  up ;  I  am 
going  to  do  right,  and  you  are  going  to  guide  me  always. 
Will  you?" 

"Always  and  forevermore,"  she  promised  gladly.  On 
107 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  way  home,  they  talked  it  all  over  and  laid  their  plans, 
and  were  very  happy.  Mr.  Adams  wished  Myrnie  to  go 
to  his  wife,  and  tell  her  how  it  all  happened,  and  that  it 
was  she  who  had  caused  him  to  reform.  But  Myrnie 
would  not  agree. 

Mrs.  Adams  must  never  know  that  another's  influence 
had  caused  him  to  seek  her  in  reparation  for  his  wrong. 
The  course  must  be  straightforward  and  frank. 

In  a  few  days  Myrnie  called  on  the  widow,  and  made 
known  her  mission.  But  Mrs.  Adams  boasted  loudly, 
and  snapped  her  pretty  eyes,  saying, 

"  No,  I  shall  never  live  with  W.  P.  again.  I  have  my 
divorce,  I  fought  him  till  I  got  it,  and  I  mean  to  be  free 
from  him  forever.  Not  if  he  went  on  his  knees  to  me 
would  I  listen  to  him." 

She  wagged  her  head  and  vociferously  announced  her 
firm  resolutions,  but  Myrnie  knew  the  boasting  was  too 
loud  to  endure.  She  knew  that  her  pride,  and  not  her 
heart,  was  speaking.  To  save  her  the  humiliation  of  a 
complete  breakdown,  Myrnie  hurried  away  and  left  her 
alone  with  her  sorrow. 

In  a  few  days,  Myrnie  met  Mr.  Adams  on  the  street. 
He  told  her  joyously  that  he  had  been  to  see  Bertie 
twice ;  that  on  the  first  visit,  she  had  made  him  go  into 
the  dust  on  his  knees  to  her,  and  that  he  had  dbne  so 
gladly;  that  she  had  sent  him  away  with  a  very  tiny  ray 
of  hope,  but  that  on  his  second  visit,  she  met  him  at 
the  door,  and  kissed  him,  making  love  to  him  during  his 
entire  stay.  He  further  added  that  the  wedding  would 
occur  in  a  few  days. 

"  She  is  a  little  brick  of  a  woman,"  he  chuckled,  as  he 

108 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

tipped  his  hat,  and  hurried  away,  like  a  boy  with  his  first 
sweetheart. 

"  Old  fools  are  the  biggest  fools,"  the  girl  said  to 
herself.  Perhaps  she  was  just  a  little  piqued,  because 
Adams  seemed  to  have  dispensed  with  her  altogether, 
even  as  the  angel-guiding  hand.  She  gave  a  tiny,  little 
sigh,  remembering  that  this  man  had  paid  court  to  her 
gallantly.  He  really  looked  very  handsome,  she  thought, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  rejoice  when  they  were  quietly 
married  a  few  days  later.  It  is  reported  that  they  had 
no  further  troubles  to  air  before  a  curious  public. 


109 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MYRNIE  did  not  see  Superintendent  Fullerton  again 
for  a  week  or  more.  He  had  been  absent  from  town  dur- 
ing her  last  two  visits  to  Professor  Stiner's  house.  No 
doubt,  most  girls  would  have  made  a  detour  around  his 
place  of  residence,  and  thus  avoided  him  altogether,  but 
this  was  not  like  Myrnie.  She  still  kept  the  same  path, 
and  chose  to  ignore  him.  About  a  week  later,  after  pass- 
ing his  house  on  her  way  home,  she  was  startled  by  hear- 
ing some  one  running  up  behind  her.  Turning  quickly, 
she  stood  face  to  face  with  Fullerton.  Looking  at  him 
with  a  smile  of  derision,  she  walked  away  from  him,  but 
he  was  not  to  be  foiled  so  easily.  Instead,  he  trotted 
along  beside  her,  and  commenced  talking,  or  rather  whin- 
ning: 

"  You  may  elude  me  and  ignore  me  if  you  wish,  but 
I  am  bound  to  talk  to  you,  though  I  shout  into  deaf 
ears.  You  may  think  you  have  a  right  to  treat  me  in 
this  way,  but  you  have  not.  I  am  sorry  for  my  conduct 
of  the  past,  and  I  wish,  and  deserve  forgiveness.  I  swear 
to  you  that  I  never  did  the  like  before,  but  there  is  some- 
thing so  devilishly  bewitching  about  you,  you  would  take 
any  man  off  his  feet.  The  very  first  time  I  ever  saw 
you,  I  was  filled  with  the  same  unquenchable  fire,  and  I 
say  that  it  is  no  more  my  fault  than  yours.  You  put  on 

no 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

your  prettiest  airs  for  me,  and  send  your  eyes  through 
me,  and  there  is  that  damned  witchery  in  your  skin." 

She  stopped  short,  and  glared  at  him.  "  You  lie,  Mr. 
Fullerton ;  I  do  not  put  on  airs  for  you,  or  any  one  else. 
I  was  in  no  way  to  blame  for  your  misconduct,  and  I  do 
not  care  to  know  you." 

"  But  I  promise  faithfully  to  be  good,  if  you  will  but 
give  me  another  chance.  I  am  willing  to  acknowledge 
my  part  of  the  fault,  and  let  bygones  be  bygones.  Let 
us  start  a  new  friendship,"  he  pleaded. 

"  Then  you  will  have  to  shoulder  all  the  blame,  for 
none  of  it  is  mine,"  she  told  him,  still  vexed. 

"  I  will  take  the  whole  load  of  it,  gladly,  if  you  will 
but  give  me  a  chance  to  square  myself,"  he  wailed,  with 
actual  tears  in  his  eyes.  His  repentance  seemed  so  gen- 
uine, Myrnie  took  him  at  his  word. 

"  I  am  willing  to  accept  your  apology,  and  will  give 
you  one  chance  more,"  she  answered,  "  but  remember 
what  you  said ;  remember  your  promise."  She  shook  her 
finger  at  him,  and  perched  her  head  on  one  side  like  a 
bird. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  remember  the  promise,  but  stop  shaking 
that  finger  at  me,  or  I  may  break  my  promise  this  in- 
stant. I  never  allow  any  woman  to  shake  her  finger  at 
me,"  and  the  Superintendent  seized  her  finger  and  put  it 
down,  returning  to  his  old  time  jollity. 

He  went  home  with  her  invited,  and  walked  on  air. 
That  evening  they  sat  on  the  veranda  and  talked  "shop," 
as  he  said,  till  quite  late.  It  was  the  one  subject  on 
which  he  could  be  entertaining.  He  explained  to  her  all 
the  "ups"  and  "  downs"  of  his  work,  discussed  at  length 
the  wretched  condition  of  some  of  the  outlying  districts, 

ill 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  the  incompetency  of  some  of  the  teachers  until  even 
Myrnie  enjoyed  the  evening. 

In  a  few  days,  Fullerton  visited  the  school  again.  He 
was  louder  than  ever  in  his  praise  of  the  teacher,  and 
even  the  children  began  to  consider  it  overdone.  They 
looked  at  each  other,  and  winked,  while  those  who  sat 
near  enough,  whispered  to  each  other  and  laughed.  If 
the  Superintendent  could  have  heard  them,  he  would 
have  heard  something  like  this,  "  Grandmammy  Fuller- 
ton  is  sure  gettin'  bughouse,"  or,  "  Ain't  he  plumb 
cracked?" 

The  children  departed  for  their  various  homes  at  the 
close  of  the  day,  but  Fullerton  still  lingered,  telling 
Myrnie  that  her  work  was  too  valuable  to  be  wasted  on 
the  desert  air,  and  that  next  year  he  should  use  all  his 
influence  to  have  her  placed  in  one  of  the  best  positions 
in  the  city  schools.  The  teacher  sat  at  her  desk,  engaged 
in  writing.  She  thanked  him  warmly,  without  raising 
her  eyes  from  her  work,  and  remarked  that  nothing 
could  gratify  her  ambition  more  than  that.  He  became 
instantly  hopeful,  and  rushed  up  to  her  in  a  whirl  of 
excitement,  seizing  her  shoulders  in  his  iron  grip,  while 
he  almost  whispered  in  her  ear :  "  I'll  tell  you  what,  little 
girl,  you  be  good  to  me,  and  I  will  see  that  you  prosper." 

She  was  on  her  feet  in  an  instant,  and,  taking  up  a 
long  pointer  that  lay  near,  was  ready  for  defence;  but 
he  took  to  his  heels.  This  was  the  last  time  he  visited 
the  school  that  year. 

Myrnie  gathered  up  her  books,  and  walked  home  with 
flushed  cheeks,  and  points  of  steel  in  her  eyes.  They 
looked  black  now. 

112 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

When  :Mrs.  Long  met  her  at  the  door,  she  quickly 
asked,  "  Whew,  what  has  happened?  " 

"  Enough  has  happened.  That  Superintendent  will 
know  that  I  do  not  want  him  to  visit  my  school  again." 

This  threw  our  jolly  landlady  into  merriment.  "  Oh, 
that's  nothing,  child.  I  know  Fullerton  of  old;  there's 
a  little  teacher  out  at  Glendale  who  almost  goes  into 
hysterics,  at  the  mere  mention  of  his  name."  As  he 
never  crossed  the  path  of  Myrnie  again,  except  in  the 
presence  of  others,  he  had  no  further  opportunity  of  an- 
noying her,  but  let  us  hope  he  found  some  one  to  love 
him  in  after  years. 

Myrnie  noticed  that  Stiner's  mind  was  undergoing 
some  change.  At  first,  she  could  not  account  for  it.  He 
manifested  a  greater  interest  in  her  music,  in  truth  a 
greater  interest  in  her  in  every  way.  He  told  her  that 
her  natural  talent  as  a  violinist  was  far  above  the  aver- 
age, in  fact  was  most  remarkable,  and  that  if  she  would 
give  up  all  other  pursuits,  and  devote  her  entire  time  to 
the  study,  she  would,  without  a  doubt,  make  a  great 
success. 

"  I  should  superintend  your  work  for  a  few  years,  then 
you  should  go  to  Europe  to  be  finished."  He  stood  by 
her  as  he  said  this.  His  handsome  face  grew  dreamy, 
and  the  sensitive  mouth  curved  into  a  smile  as  he  con- 
tinued looking  at  her.  Myrnie  blushed  consciously,  and 
rather  liked  him  better  than  before. 

"  I  have  been  thinking,"  he  said,  walking  to  the  other 
end  of  the  room,  "of  making  a  great  change  in  my  life. 
Things  as  they  are,  are  altogether  unsatisfactory  to  me." 

He  changed  the  subject  abruptly.  It  was  time  for 
Myrnie  to  go.  He  went  as  far  as  the  gate  with  her,  and 

"3 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

pressed  her  hand  in  a  parting  handshake;  a  proceeding 
unusual,  and  altogether  unnecessary,  Myrnie  thought. 
But  these  advances  from  Professor  Stiner  were  not  al- 
together unpleasant  to  Myrnie.  That  evening,  as  she 
sat  alone  in  the  moonlight,  she  indulged  in  the  most  deli- 
cious day-dreams,  in  which  she  and  Mr.  Stiner  alone 
figured.  And  yet  her  thoughts  were  only  those  of  an 
ambitious  and  attractive  child — his  confidence  in  her 
ability  was  alluring,  while  he  was  the  stepping-stone  to 
the  success  of  which  she  dreamed. 

The  next  time  Myrnie  came,  Mr.  Stiner  hurried 
through  the  lesson,  and  resumed  the  conversation  of  the 
previous  meeting. 

"  I  think  more  seriously  of  making  the  changes  of 
which  I  spoke  the  other  day;  in  plain  words,  of  getting 
a  divorce  from  my  wife,  and  starting  life  on  this  side 
anew." 

"  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Stiner,  please  do  not  do  that,"  Myrnie 
pleaded. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  he  asked  quizzically.  ''Look  at  my  life 
as  it  is.  I  am  in  a  state  of  perpetual  longing.  I  want 
my  family,  but  my  wife  refuses  to  come  to  America,  and 
I  cannot  live  in  Germany.  Would  it  not  be  better  for 
us  both  to  break  such  a  tie,  and  form  new  ones.  I  am 
willing  for  her  to  do  so.  I  am  sure  there  is  some  one 
else  for  me.  Of  late  I  have  been  thinking  that  perhaps 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  '  the  affinity.'  Those  who 
understand  each  other  perfectly,  and  find  such  sweet 
rest  in  each  other's  society,  must  be  affinities,  don't  you 
think?" 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Stiner,  those  things  are  easily  imagined, 
don't  you  know  ?  " 

114 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Well,  my  mind  is  quite  made  up.  I  have  been  think- 
ing of  this  for  a  long  time,  but  you  are  the  only  person 
to  whom  I  have  mentioned  it"  He  strode  about  the 
room  his  hands  in  his  pockets. 

Myrnie  was  growing  sick  of  the  word  "affinity." 
Owing  to  her  recent  experiences,  she  was  able  to  discern 
which  way  the  tide  was  drifting,  and  her  one  purpose 
was  to  stem  it  in  time.  She  crossed  the  room,  and  with 
down-cast  expression,  stood  looking  out  of  a  window. 

"  What  on  earth  makes  you  look  so  miserable  ?  "  he 
asked,  coming  near. 

"  Well,  it  looks  as  though  love  and  marriage  is  all  a 
sad  failure ;  I  have  always  believed  it  to  be  a  strong  and 
holy  tie." 

"  Young  people  often  have  such  ideals  shattered,"  he 
told  her. 

"Are  they  only  ideals?  Are  they  too  high  for  attain- 
ment in  this  world  ? "  she  asked,  still  looking  outside. 

"  No,  no,  love  is  not  a  failure  at  all,  nor  is  marriage 
always,"  he  replied,  studying  her  closely. 

"  Well,  I  should  hate  to  think  so.  I  want  to  believe 
in  those  things,  because  I  am  going  to  be  married  my- 
self soon,  and  should  dislike  to  expect  a  disappointment/' 

This  declaration  almost  deprived  him  of  his  breath. 
He  underwent  several  shades  of  color,  and  strode  about 
the  room  more  briskly. 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course,"  he  replied,  more  to  himself  than 
to  her.  "  Every  girl  must  fall  in  love  and  marry.  That 
is  only  as  it  should  be.  Yes,  of  course." 

He  came  up  to  her,  and  looking  at  her  with  all  tender- 
ness, said.  "  Tell  me  all  about  it,  all  about  it." 

"  Oh,  there  is  not  so  much  to  tell.     A  young  man 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

whom  I   love  very   much  is   coming  here   from   Nova 
Scotia  this  Spring,  and  it  will  happen  then." 

The  young  man  from  Nova  Scotia  was  becoming  a 
living  reality  to  Myrnie,  despite  her  truthful  nature. 

"  And  you  love  him  ?  "  he  asked,  very  tenderly. 

"  Oh,  yes ;"  Myrnie's  blush  came  in  good  time.  That 
evening,  as  she  sat  in  the  gloaming,  the  hero  of  her 
day-dream  became  a  dashing  knight  from  her  native 
land,  and  he  swam  the  Gut  of  Ganso  every  night,  and 
made  love  to  her  from  under  her  window. 

The  perplexed  girl  crossed  the  room  to  avoid  the 
dreamy  look  of  the  musician.  She  stood  before  the  por- 
trait of  a  richly  dressed  woman,  with  two  beautiful  chil- 
dren. 

"  I  beg  you,  Mr.  Stiner,  before  you  take  such  a  step 
as  you  spoke  of  a  few  minutes  ago,  write  one  more  letter, 
asking  your  wife  to  come  to  you.  Look  at  these  darling 
children.  Must  they  grow  up,  and  never  know  a  father 
as  I  have  done  ?  Ah,  you  know  that  is  a  hard,  bitter  fate. 
And  you  told  me  they  were  natural  musicians.  I  beg  of 
you,  Mr.  Stiner,  write  one  more  letter.'' 

He  came,  and  looked  at  the  portrait  from  over  her 
shoulder,  but  she  moved  away,  and  took  a  seat  on  a 
divan  in  a  dim  corner  of  the  room.  Everything  was 
failing  her;  she  could  not  distinguish  wrong  from  right 
anymore.  Everybody  was  disappointing  her,  and  she 
was  telling  lies  to  set  people  right. 

Presently  he  came,  and  sat  by  her  side.  "  Yes,  you 
are  right.  I  will  write  one  more  letter,"  he  said  gently. 

"  Then  do  it  this  minute.  I  am  tired,  and  will  wait 
here  till  it  is  finished.  I  will  drop  it  in  the  office  as  I  go 
by,  and  it  will  leave  town  to-night." 

116 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

He  obeyed  her,  and  before  dropping  it  into  the  slot, 
she  copied  the  address  on  the  envelope.  That  night,  she 
worked  until  midnight  on  a  letter  of  only  four  pages,  but 
she  had  forgotten  much  of  her  German,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  frequently  refer  to  her  German  grammar  or 
dictionary.  When  the  letter  was  finished,  it  was  one 
long  appeal  from  one  woman  to  another ;  from  one  sister 
to  another,  though  the  sisters  had  never  met ;  they  dwelt 
on  opposite  sides  of  a  great  ocean,  and  spoke  in  different 
tongues. 

Myrnie's  message  followed  closely  upon  the  heels  of 
the  other,  across  the  vast  water  to  the  fatherland.  De- 
spite all  that  men  say  to  the  contrary,  women  are  not 
always  such  inhuman  beasts  to  one  another. 

But  the  student  thought  it  wise  to  give  up  the  music 
lessons  for  a  period,  after  this  interview  with  her  teacher. 
A  Teacher's  Institute  was  to  be  held  at  Prescott  during 
the  two  weeks  of  midwinter  holidays,  and  this  gave  her 
an  excuse  for  doing  so. 

While  in  Prescott,  she  became  better  acquainted  with 
Superintendent  Jilly,  of  that  county,  and  he  assured  her 
that  she  could  get  a  position  for  the  coming  year  in  his 
county.  Mr.  Jilly  was  a  man  of  high  repute,  and  a  gen- 
tleman in  every  sense.  Myrnie  felt  this  would  be  far 
pleasanter  than  again  teaching  under  the  affectionate 
Mr.  Fullerton. 

With  considerable  reluctance,  Myrnie  saw  the  two 
weeks  of  vacation  come  to  a  close.  She  had  stopped  with 
Bessie,  who  was  now  married  to  one  of  the  "  little  oper- 
ators." But  vacations,  like  all  things  which  have  a  be- 
ginning, have  an  end. 

On  the  return  to  Phoenix,  Myrnie  wished  to  resume 
117 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

her  study  of  music,  which  gave  Professor  Stiner  great 
joy.  She  entered  his  studio  unannounced.  He  was 
seated  at  the  piano,  his  rugged  head  thrown  back,  his 
glance  piercing  the  walls,  as  it  were,  playing  "Midsum- 
mer Night's  Dream;"  his  nimble  ringers  were  dancing 
over  the  keys,  like  fairies  themselves.  The  student  stood 
looking  at  him  in  silence.  Her  heart  ached  a  little ;  she 
wanted  to  fall  in  love  so  badly — deeply  and  earnestly  in 
love — and  this  man  was  unusually  congenial  to  her.  But 
he  turned,  as  though  he  felt  her  presence ;  their  eyes  met, 
expressing  the  pleasure  the  meeting  gave  them. 

"  Bless,  your  heart,"  he  said,  coming  to  her  with  out- 
stretched hands.  She  did  not  resent  the  demonstration. 
There  was  in  it  an  element  of  purity  which  she  felt  and 
understood. 

"  They  are  coming,  they  are  coming !"  His  joy  was 
not  greater  than  hers,  and  for  the  moment  they  were 
two  jubilant  children.  Their  actions  would  have  ap- 
peared undignified  outside  of  Arizona.  But  here  the 
motive  outweighs  the  act.  He  tossed  a  letter  into  her 
lap,  written  in  German,  and  filled  with  declarations  of 
love  and  encouragement.  It  stated  that  a  woman  and 
two  children  would  leave  the  Old  World,  and  come  to 
the  New,  with  the  breaking  of  the  Spring.  Again  there 
was  demonstration  of  joy.  He  looked  into  her  eyes, 
and  thanked  her,  knowing  from  what  she  had  saved  him. 

"  My  children  shall  know  you,  and  love  you,  and  my 
wife — ,"  but  at  this  point  he  could  say  no  more.  It  was 
a  joyous  lesson  that  day,  interrupted  by  such  outbursts 
as  these :  "  What  a  wonder  this  country  will  be  to  those 
two  tots.  They  must  be  very  inquisitive  by  now,"  or, 
"  They  will  be  afraid  of  the  Indians  at  first,  and  Julia, 

118 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

too;  but,  of  course,  they  will  soon  learn  they  are  harm- 
less. No  doubt  they  will  be  trying  to  play  with  them 
before  long ;"  or,  "  I  know  that  you  and  Julia  will  be  the 
best  of  friends.  I  must  get  a  nice  place,  and  have  it  all 
ready.  Next  winter  you  shall  live  with  us,  and  when 
your  young  man  comes  from  Nova  Scotia,  we  will  give 
you  a  fine  wedding  at  our  house/' 

Myrnie  noticed  that  he  made  no  further  plans  for  her 
higher  education  in  music. 

She  smiled,  but  felt  a  little  foolish,  when  the  young 
man  from  Nova  Scotia  was  mentioned.  Mrs.  Stiner  did 
come  to  Phoenix,  but  she  and  Myrnie  never  met. 


119 


CHAPTER  X. 


LIFE  in  the  West  was  beginning  to  modify  Myrnie's 
attitude  toward  the  world.  She  was  an  extremely  im- 
pressionable creature,  and  all  unconscious  of  it.  Her 
sympathy  was  abnormal,  and  liable  to  lead  her  to  almost 
any  length.  The  surroundings  in  the  West  were  new  and 
strange  to  her,  altogether  different  from  the  East.  There, 
where  protection  seemed  scarcely  necessary,  she  had  been 
unduly  shielded.  Here,  in  this  wide  open  country,  where 
even  the  most  astute  often  find  themselves  in  need  of 
defence,  she  had  been  cast  upon  her  own  resources. 
Perhaps  there  is  no  more  evil  or  danger  in  Arizona  than 
in  any  other  land,  once  you  become  acquainted  with 
Western  ways,  but  the  habits  of  the  people  make  it  ap- 
pear so.  There  is  less  visible  protection  there. 

Mrs.  Long  had  performed  her  part,  in  influencing  the 
girl's  thoughts  on  many  subjects.  She  had  diligently 
poured  into  the  horrified  ears  of  Myrnie,  the  numerous 
accounts  of  liasons,  scandals  and  divorces  which  hap- 
pened at  home,  as  well  as  those  she  could  read  of  at 
large,  and,  as  stated  before,  her  store  of  such  news 
was  not  scant.  The  widow  always  commented  upon  these 
narrations,  and  moralized  according  to  her  way  of  think- 
ing ;  though  Myrnie  had  long  since  ceased  to  accept  Mrs. 
Long's  moralizing,  she  was,  no  doubt,  influenced  by  it 

120 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

more  than  she  knew.  She  considered  Myrnie's  inno- 
cence a  poor  asset  for  a  woman  in  this  day  and  age, 
and  her  aim  and  desire  was  to  enlighten  the  "  poor 
thing." 

Myrnie's  ears  grew  less  and  less  outraged  upon  hear- 
ing these  things.  Perhaps  the  world,  after  all,  was  not 
the  place  of  great  achievements  and  honesty,  which  she 
had  supposed.  This  disappointment  left  a  void,  for  which 
she  had  not  yet  found  a  substitute. 

Each  individual  dwells  in  an  intellectual  realm  of  his 
or  her  own  making.  Myrnie  was  being  led  out  of  her 
own  pure  world  of  thought,  into  the  mental  mazes  of 
others.  She  was  left  much  to  herself  in  these  days  of 
breaking  Springtide.  Her  music  teacher  had  gone  to 
New  York,  to  meet  and  accompany  his  family  to  the 
West.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  moved  to  Texas,  to  start 
life  anew;  her  experiences  in  Phoenix,  however, 
had  only  been  a  testing,  and  a  means  of  proving  some 
things,  to  which  she  still  held  fast. 

Myrnie  was  learning  to  study  people  and  she  had  stud- 
ied her  landlady  closely  and  considered  her  a  good  aver- 
age of  the  world  at  large.  This  lady  was  kindness  it- 
self and  did  everything  in  her  power  to  benefit  her  board- 
er's material  comfort.  Myrnie  liked  her  very  well  on 
the  whole,  but  refused  to  accept  her  "advanced  ideas"  as 
the  widow  was  pleased  to  call  them. 

Mrs.  Long  was  a  tall  brunette  of  a  rather  robust  make. 
She  possessed  large  hips  which  wobbled  as  she  walked. 
But  her  walk  was  a  saucy  swagger,  for  well  the  lady 
knew  how  bewitching  widows  always  are.  But  one  side 
of  her  body  seemed  always  to  be  a  little  in  advance  of 
the  other.  Perhaps  she  too|^  a  longer  step  with  her  right 

121 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

foot  than  she  did  with  her  dainty  left  or  perhaps  the  left 
foot  was  the  more  modest  of  the  two  and  the  right  was 
to  blame  for  the  "advanced  ideas."  At  any  rate,  this 
gave  her  a  very  self-assured  bearing.  The  dear  widow 
was  inclined  to  be  fleshy,  but  she  ate  sparingly,  struggling 
nobly  to  keep  down  her  avoirdupois. 

She  had  a  habit  of  frequently  speaking  of  the  many 
differences  between  blondes  and  brunettes.  Brunettes 
were  far  more  fascinating  than  blondes.  She  would  tell 
you.  Brunettes  had  more  power  over  the  male  sex.  Did 
she  not  know  this  of  a  certainty?  Sure  she  did.  Dozens 
of  men  had  told  her  so.  Blondes  were  wishy-washy  and 
were  sure  to  fade  very  young. 

This  dashing  young  widow  was  preparing  for  her  third 
wedding.  She  had  the  day  set  for  her  next  birthday, 
when  she  would  be  forty,  but  I  am  sure  she  looked  scarce- 
ly twenty.  She  never  told  people  how  old  she  was  and 
she  thought  no  one  could  ever,  ever  guess,  but  I  am  sure 
that  a  real  good  judge  would  have  known  that  her  fat- 
ness was  the  fatness  of  forty.  One  of  her  former  hus- 
bands was  dead,  the  other  was  running  at  large,  and  she 
had  the  day  set  for  a  third;  and  now  she  was  busy  most 
of  the  time  making  underwear  for  the  occasion. 

"  I  do  not  care  much  about  my  wedding  dress,"  she 
told  Myrnie,  "  but  I  am  going  to  blow  myself  on  under- 
wear. I  shall  be  married  in  a  plain  white  dress  that  I 
wore  last  summer,  but  just  you  watch  my  smoke,  for  I 
shall  blow  myself  on  underwear." 

And  so  she  did.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  her 
underwear.  Piles  and  stacks  and  tills  full,  and  all  of  the 
finest.  Silks,  linens,  lawnsdales  and  cambrics,  all  be- 
decked with  the  finest  laces.  In  short,  it  was  underwear 

122 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

to  make  your  mouth  water,  everything  that  goes  to  make 
a  woman  bewitching,  and  in  these  garments  you  may 
be  sure  the  widow  looked  resistless. 

But  who  was  to  be  the  lucky  fellow?  Who  indeed? 
Of  this  the  widow  was  not  quite  sure  herself.  She  had 
set  the  day,  but  had  not  yet  decided  upon  the  man.  She 
was  promised  to  three  "  dandy"  fellows.  Those  three 
she  held  in  escrow ;  she  would  decide  perhaps  at  the  last 
moment.  These  admirers  of  hers  were  the  veterinary, 
whom  she  called  the  "  Doctor,"  a  red-faced  meat-cutter, 
and  a  farm-hand  who  worked  on  a  nearby  farm.  This 
one  was  aged  twenty-three. 

I  am  sorry  I  cannot  tell  you  which  of  the  three  she 
chose,  for  I  never  heard  myself,  but  I  always  had  a 
feeling  that  it  was  the  farm  hand  aged  twenty-three. 

By  preference  the  little  school  teacher  courted  her  own 
society  in  these  days,  and  tended  her  peaceful  little  school. 
She  was  trying  to  adjust  herself  to  her  new  impressions, 
and  as  a  consequence  was  mentally  dishevelled  and  much 
cast  down  at  times.  Life  in  the  big  world  of  experience 
which  she  had  been  so  eager  to  meet  was  wanting  when 
weighed  in  the  balance  with  her  expectations.  Spring- 
time was  breaking  rapidly  about  her,  and  Springtime 
will  bring  its  sunshine,  its  flowers  and  its  bird  song,  so 
that  in  the  face  of  all  this  she  could  not  be  melancholy 
very  long. 

After  a  time  the  perplexed  girl  became  more  accustomed 
to  looking  at  life  as  it  was.  She  reached  a  more  settled 
state  of  mind  which  expressed  itself  thus :  "  I  can  do 
right  if  others  do  not,  so  let  it  be,"  and  she  went  on 
minding  her  own  affairs. 

Mrs.  Long's  son  owned  a  fine  black  horse,  but  as  the 
123 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

boy  did  not  care  for  riding,  preferring  to  farm  instead, 
and  the  horse  needed  exercise,  Myrnie  was  given  free 
use  of  the  animal.  Much  of  her  spare  time  now  was 
spent  on  the  back  of  this  splendid  creature.  At  first  she 
did  not  venture  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town,  not  being 
an  experienced  rider,  but  she  was  gaining  confidence 
every  day.  Of  an  evening  she  could  be  seen  thus 
mounted,  prancing  along  the  shaded  avenues  of  the  cap- 
itol,  now  by  parks  where  fountains  played  incessantly, 
now  by  long  rows  of  cottages  and  fine  residences. 

Soon  the  girl  extended  her  horseback  journeys  into 
the  country,  sometimes  riding  miles  from  the  town.  It 
was  on  one  of  these  solitary  rides  that  she  met  an  old- 
time  friend. 

She  had  galloped  along  the  Salt  River  for  a  mile  or 
two,  when  a  man  also  on  horseback  coming  from  an  op- 
posite direction,  drew  up  his  mount  and  extended  a 
friendly  hand  in  greeting. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Harmon,"  she  exclaimed,  and  the  expres- 
sion of  pure  delight  on  her  face  could  not  be  mistaken. 
Fred  was  happy  to  see  that  look  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  have  been  in  Phoenix  a  month,"  he  told  her  after 
the  preliminary  greeting.  "  I  am  now  returning  from  a 
trip  into  the  Bradshaw  mountains,  where  I  have  been  ex- 
amining some  manganese  outcroppings.  I  have  some 
parties  on  the  string  who  want  a  manganese  mine." 

"  You  have  been  in  Phoenix  for  a  month  and  have 
never  been  to  see  me,  although  you  knew  where  to  find 
me?  Now  I  call  that  real  mean/' 

"  I  have  inquired  often  enough  from  a  jolly  old  friend 
of  yours,  and  I  always  received  such  glowing  reports 
that  I  concluded  you  did  not  need  me.  You  know  I 

124 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

wanted  to  call  badly  enough,  but  you  rather  gave  me 
to  understand,  I  thought,  that  my  absence  was  best, 
therefore  I  desisted  from  the  pleasure.  But  how  do  you 
like  Phoenix  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Maybe  I  like  it  a  little,  but  I  am  sure  I  never  liked 
a  place  so  little,"  was  her  reply. 

"  Come,  tell  me  what  is  the  trouble.  If  any  one  is 
mistreating  you  he  will  have  me  to  answer  to,"  he  told 
her. 

The  girl  had  been  wishing  for  some  one  to  whom  she 
could  unburden  her  heart,  and  this  meeting  by  the  very 
nature  of  its  unexpectedness  was  prone  to  draw  forth  such 
a  confidence.  They  dismounted  and  sat  on  the  grass 
in  the  shade  of  the  newly  leafing  trees,  while  she  told 
him  of  her  various  experiences. 

Fred  said  little  while  she  related  what  had  occurred 
in  the  cases  of  Adams  and  Stiner.  He  looked  at  her 
wonderingly  from  time  to  time  as  though  this  was  a  new 
kind  of  woman  to  him.  But  when  she  came  to  Fuller- 
ton  and  labored  hesitatingly  through  the  unseemly  tale, 
trying  to  make  him  comprehend  what  had  taken  place, 
he  grew  pale  and  frantic.  He  arose,  striding  about  on 
the  tender  grass,  grinding  it  with  his  Heels.  At  length 
he  took  her  by  the  hand  and  drew  her  to  her  feet.  "Poor 
little  lonely  girl,"  he  said.  "  This  is  an  outrage,  but  you 
let  me  know  if  that  brute  ever  speaks  to  you  again  and 
I  will  break  every  bone  in  his  lobster  of  a  body.  You 
are  a  little  heroine,  so  well  have  you  borne  yourself !" 

The  girl  rejoiced  and  rested,  as  it  were,  in  this  arm  of 
strength  which  was  so  opportunely  reached  out  to  her. 
Fred  stood  looking  into  her  face,  realizing  how  hope- 
lessly and  desperately  he  loved  her. 

125 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Poor  little  lonely  girl,"  he  said  again,  and  she  raised 
her  eyes  wistfully  to  his. 

"  And  here  is  another  lobster  claiming  a  look  from  you. 
What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  "  he  asked,  smiling 
easily. 

"  But  you  do  not  bother  me;  you  are  just  a  nice,  kind 
friend  to  whom  I  can  come  with  my  troubles.  Don't  you 
remember  you  told  me  I  could  always  do  so  ?  "  Myrnie 
had  forgotten  that  she  had  told  this  man  that  he  was 
"not  a  very  nice  man"  upon  the  same  occasion;  to-day 
he  seemed  the  cream  of  all  good  men  to  her. 

He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  firmly.  "  That  is  what 
I  am  and  shall  be/'  he  declared. 

On  their  ride  back  to  town  it  was  agreed  that  Fred 
should  call  for  Myrnie  on  the  following  Sunday  evening 
and  take  her  to  his  home,  that  she  might  meet  his  wife. 
Surely  neither  realized  the  breakers  ahead ! 

Fred  was  happy  in  spite  of  himself.  He  had  firmly 
resolved  to  be  the  Platonic  friend,  but  at  stray  moments 
he  found  himself  harboring  the  most  ridiculously  deli- 
cious hopes.  He  tried  hard  to  put  them  from  him,  but 
that  was  impossible.  He  would  keep  believing  that  at 
some  time,  in  some  way,  Providence  would  come  to  his 
aid. 

That  night  he  told  his  wife  of  the  little  friend  he  had 
invited  to  see  her,  and  of  his  having  met  her  the  summer 
before.  He  ended  by  saying,  "  I  am  sure  you  will  like 
her.  She  is  so  gentle,  and  her  presence  cannot  bore  and 
tire  you  as  so  many  people's  do." 

"  Why  have  you  never  told  me  of  this  charming  crea- 
ture before  ?  "  she  asked,  suspicious  of  the  animated  way 
in  which  Fred  had  spoken,  though  he  had  tried  his  best 
to  be  matter  of  fact  in  the  telling. 

126 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Why  Amy,  do  I  tell  you  of  all  the  girls  I  meet  in 
my  travels?  As  you  may  imagine,  I  meet  many  girls, 
good,  bad  and  indifferent.  I  had  thought  no  more  about 
this  girl  till  I  met  her  this  morning,  and  she  seems  such 
a  nice  person  that  I  thought  you  might  enjoy  her  com- 
pany. There  are  so  few  people  you  can  endure  at  all." 

"  Well,  may  be  I  shall  like  her,  but  it  is  doubtful.  Girls 
are  such  featherheads  these  days,"  she  said  peevishly. 

However,  Sunday  evening  brought  Myrnie  to  the  cot- 
tage on  Center  Street  where  the  invalid  lay.  As  she 
was  ushered  into  the  room  by  the  nurse,  she  saw  a  thin, 
pale  woman  reclining  on  a  brass  bed  which  was  dressed 
scrupulously  clean.  The  under  sheet  was  pinned  down 
so  tightly  and  smoothly  that  not  a  wrinkle  could  be  seen 
in  it.  If  there  had  been  one  harmless  little  wrinkle,  this 
fastidious  person  would  have  known  it  and  would  have 
given  the  nurse  no  peace  till  it  was  smoothed  out. 

Large  snowy  pillows,  with  covers  handsomely  trimmed, 
held  the  woman  in  a  half  reclining  position.  She  wore  a 
white  silk  robe  in  lieu  of  a  night  dress,  and  that  too  was 
a  thing  of  beauty  with  its  rich  frills  of  lace.  A  white 
coverlet  of  exquisite  Mexican  drawn  work  was  thrown 
over  half  of  her  figure,  she  having  just  thrown  it  back, 
for  the  room  was  warm.  A  boy  of  about  nine  years 
played  on  the  floor  with  a  multitude  of  toys,  a  whole  toy 
shop  full,  it  seemed.  These  toys  made  the  only  litter  to 
be  seen  anywhere. 

Myrnie  was  introduced  to  the  invalid  by  her  husband, 
who  after  playing  a  minute  with  the  boy,  went  into  the 
study,  leaving  the  two  women  alone,  except  for  the  pres- 
ence of  the  boy. 

At  first  the  invalid  stared  at  the  girl  in  a  half  stupid, 
127 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

half  admiring  way,  then  she  lifted  a  small  jeweled  hand 
in  a  half-hearted  greeting,  and  her  listless  face  smiled 
a  little.  Myrnie  noticed  that  her  expression  was  drawn 
and  emaciated,  and  indicative  of  one  who  suffers  from 
ennui  and  a  small  mind. 

"  Fred  has  been  telling  me  about  you/'  she  said.  "  I 
am  glad  you  called.  Take  that  chair.  Draw  it  up  close 
to  me,  so  we  can  talk." 

Myrnie  did  as  she  was  invited,  but  her  natural  impulse 
was  to  draw  the  chair  away  from  the  bed. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  find  you  so  ill,"  the  girl  attempted  to 
make  conversation,  "  But  Mr.  Harmon  tells  me  you  are 
often  quite  well." 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  finally  drawled.  "This  is  only  one 
of  my  bad  spells;  goodness  knows,  I  suffer  enough  at 
best.  I  am  on  the  mend  at  present,  and  hope  to  be  up  in 
a  few  days." 

"  What  seems  to  be  the  nature  of  your  trouble  ?  "  Myr- 
nie asked. 

"  Oh,  nervous  prostration  for  one  thing.  Goodness 
knows  my  husband  is  to  blame  for  most  of  that  with  his 
stubborn  ways  and  contrary  actions.  Wallace  there  wor- 
ries me  nearly  to  death  too,  though  the  Lord  knows  the 
child  is  all  I  have  to  live  for.  That  litter  of  toys  drives 
me  frantic  at  times,  but  you  know  I  have  to  let  the  little 
fellow  play.  I  enjoy  having  him  play  here  where  I  can  see 
him,  and  I  watch  him  for  hours  at  a  time.  I  can  remember 
when  I  was  a  child  like  that  and  had  my  mother."  She 
thought  pensively  for  awhile  and  continued.  "Then  I 
have  stomach  trouble,  kidney  disease  and  a  torpid  liver. 
The  doctor  says  the  action  of  my  heart  is  very  defective 
and  the  circulation  very  imperfect.  My  nerves  are  wrecks. 
I  have  had  six  operations  for  internal  troubles,  but  oper- 

128 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ations  give  only  temporary  relief.  This  is  the  first  real 
bad  spell  I  have  had  since  last  July.  On  the  day  of  the 
Fourth  they  thought  I  was  dying.  I  go  to  Los  Angeles 
in  Summer  to  escape  hay  fever,  but  this  climate  is  best 
for  me  in  winter."  Thus  she  repeated  her  ills  and 
counted  them  over  proudly.  Few  could  support  such  a 
train. 

"  Do  not  ever  be  so  foolish  as  to  marry,  child.  I  can 
see  that  your  health  is  perfect  now.  A  man  is  to  blame 
for  all  a  woman's  ills.  I  just  hate  all  living  men.  All 
the  good  ones  I  ever  knew  died." 

Myrnie  made  no  reply  to  this.  She  looked  around  the 
room  and  saw  that  it  was  richly  and  elegantly  furnished. 
Every  comfort  seemed  supplied.  A  row  of  books  stood 
on  a  shelf  just  above  the  bed  within  reach  of  the  invalid. 
Myrnie  could  read  the  titles,  and  she  saw  that  most  of 
them  were  by  Corelli,  a  few  by  Gunther,  and  one  or  two 
by  Carlyle.  She  also  observed  that  most  beautiful  hand- 
made embroidery  was  everywhere.  These  had  all  been 
made  by  Mrs.  Harmon,  besides  a  big  box  full  of  the 
same  work  which  was  shown  to  Myrnie  during  her  visit. 

"  Yes,  they  are  beautiful,"  the  invalid  said  in  response 
to  the  girl's  praise  of  them ;  "  and  I  do  prize  them  highly, 
but  I  nearly  lost  my  eyesight  at  the  work,  so  I  do  very 
little  of  it  now." 

The  little  boy  came  and  stood  by  Myrnie,  looking  up 
into  her  face  inquiringly. 

"  Oh,  good  evening,  little  man.  What  is  your  name  ? 
Eh?  How  old  are  you?  Eh?"  but  he  would  answer 
none  of  her  questions.  She  drew  him  up  on  her  lap, 
where  he  sat  picking  at  her  hair  and  pinching  her 
cheeks  perhaps  to  see  if  they  were  real  cheeks.  He  poked 
a  finger  into  her  bust  with,  "  What's  that?"  His  mother's 

129 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

bust  was  very  flat  and  he  did  not  comprehend  this  pro- 
jection. His  mother  ordered  him  away,  but  he  paid  no 
heed  to  her.  Myrnie  saw  that  the  child  was  a  copy  of  his 
mother  about  the  face,  but  his  manners  were  those  of  the 
father  over  again.  He  was  not  at  all  a  precocious  child, 
being  a  mere  baby  of  five  years  in  ways  and  talk. 

After  Myrnie  had  told  all  about  herself,  her  past  as 
well  as  her  future  aims,  which  information  Mrs.  Harmon 
drew  from  her  by  a  volley  of  questions,  she  prepared  to 
go  home,  lest  the  strength  of  her  stay  tire  the  invalid. 
Mrs.  Harmon  promised  to  call  at  Mrs.  Long's  to  see 
Myrnie  as  soon  as  she  should  be  able  to  do  so. 

"  I  have  met  Mrs.  Long  at  Mrs.  Murphy's  card  par- 
ties," the  invalid  remarked,  "She  is  one  of  those  widows 
I  can't  endure.  She  will  cheat  to  beat  anything  you  ever 
saw  if  she  gets  the  chance,  and  she  manages  about  that 
always." 

Wallace  accompanied  Myrnie  and  Fred  back  to  her 
place  of  residence,  and  when  the  child  came  home,  his 
mother  called  him  to  her  and  pumped  him  concerning 
the  conversation  which  had  taken  place  between  his 
father  and  the  young  lady  during  the  drive. 

A  spirit  of  deep  depression  seized  and  held  Myrnie  for 
the  remainder  of  the  evening,  and  that  night  she  dreamed 
of  the  place  of  torment.  She  did  not  comprehend  this 
melancholy.  It  was  not  usual  with  her.  "Poor,  poor 
man ! "  she  said  to  herself  over  and  over. 

This  gloom  was  simply  the  shadow  of  unhappiness 
which  had  been  thrown  around  her  during  her  visit  to 
the  pessimistic  invalid,  and  Myrnie  being  susceptible, 
had  carried  some  of  it  home  with  her. 


130 


CHAPTER  XI. 


"  How  do  you  like  Miss  Leston  ?  "  Fred  asked  his  wife 
when  he  returned. 

"  I  could  not  say  on  so  slight  an  acquaintance.  I  never 
form  my  opinion  of  any  one  on  the  first  meeting/'  Mrs. 
Harmon  said  in  an  animated  voice. 

"  I  do/'  was  her  husband's  reply. 

"  That  is  because  you  are  rash  and  impulsive  and 
foolish.  I  suppose  you  think  she  is  pretty  ?  "  eyeing  him 
closely. 

"Yes,  I  think  she  is  very  pretty,  don't  you?"  This 
time  his  face  told  her  nothing. 

"  She  is  fresh  and  healthy  looking,"  Mrs.  Harmon 
admitted,  "and  I  suppose  that  is  beauty  as  men  see  it. 
But  I  always  look  deeper  than  that  for  beauty.  Those 
who  have  souls  are  beautiful  to  me." 

"  I  should  say  Miss  Leston  possesses  a  soul,  if  any 
one  ever  did,"  Fred  told  her. 

"  You  would  not  recognize  a  woman's  soul  if  you 
met  it  in  the  big  road.  But  that  girl  is  sensible  enough 
not  to  be  boresome,  I  can  say  that  much  for  her." 

"  That  would  depend  on  what  kind  of  a  soul  it  was, 
Amy.  I  think  I  should  recognize  the  kind  that  is  made 
of  leather  if  I  saw  it  in  the  road." 

"  Oh,  yes,  that  is  the  way  when  I  try  to  have  a  sensible 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

conversation  with  you,  you  always  delight  in  foolish- 
ness."    And  the  woman  closed  her  lips  tightly. 

Wallace  had  sat  in  thought  all  the  evening,  and  this 
was  unusual,  for  he  was  by  nature  a  regular  chatterbox. 
He  came  to  his  mother  when  he  was  in  his  nighty  and 
ready  for  bed,  and  asked,  "  Mamma,  was  that  girl  the 
Beauty  Lady?" 

"  Ho,  ho,  no,  darling.  Why  do  you  ask  that  ?  "  the 
mother  replied. 

"  Because  I  think  she  is,  mamma,  she  is  so  beautiful ;" 
but  he  got  no  audible  answer  to  this.  His  mother  kissed 
him  a  number  of  times  and  sent  him  to  bed.  The  Beauty 
Lady  was  the  heroine  of  a  fairy  tale,  which  was  the  child's 
favorite  of  all  the  stories  his  mother  told  him.  The 
Beauty  Lady  was  reputed  to  possess  all  the  virtues  as 
well  as  great  beauty. 

Mrs.  Harmon  was  out  of  bed  in  a  few  days.  She 
seemed  well  enough,  and  went  about  at  ease  like  one  who 
enjoyed  good  health.  Her  eyes  were  bright  and  her 
cheeks  had  a  hint  of  color  in  them.  She  gained  in  flesh 
and  enjoyed  a  good  appetite.  Such  was  the  mystery 
about  her  chronic  illness;  it  would  come  on  suddenly, 
and  at  such  times  it  would  seem  that  she  must  die.  All 
at  once  she  got  up  and  went  about  looking  and  feeling 
as  fine  as  could  be.  Her  physicians  were  sorely  puzzled 
with  her  case,  and  insisted  that  her  mind  must  in  some 
way  be  responsible,  but  this  the  woman  denied  stubbornly. 

"  I  want  you  to  take  me  out  to  see  Miss  Leston  this 
evening,"  she  said  to  her  husband  one  day  at  dinner. 

"  Do  you  think  you  are  strong  enough,  Amy  ? "  he 
asked,  kindly. 

132 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  You  know  very  well  that  I  am  strong  enough  or  I 
should  not  ask  to  go,  so  why  that  question  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  rather  inconvenient  for  me  to  take  you 
to-day;  I  must  meet  some  men  on  important  business 
after  dinner." 

"  Oh,  well,  postpone  the  meeting.  It  is  not  often  that 
I  ask  for  any  of  your  precious  time." 

"  I  will  ask  Douglas  to  drive  you  to  the  country ;  I 
must  see  these  men,"  Fred  told  her. 

"  No  sir,  you  shall  not  push  me  off  on  to  Douglas.  You 
shall  go  yourself.  Now  that  settles  it.  I  do  not  believe 
you  have  an  engagement  at  all."  The  woman  was  half 
ready  to  cry,  and  that  did  settle  it.  Fred  saw  the  men 
hurriedly  and  appointed  another  time  for  the  business 
meeting,  though  it  was  most  inconvenient  for  all  parties 
concerned,  and  he  drove  to  the  country  with  his  family. 

It  was  Saturday  and  they  found  Myrnie  practising  on 
her  violin.  Of  course  she  had  to  play  for  them,  and  while 
she  played,  alas,  Fred  forgot  to  guard  his  telltale  face. 
Mrs.  Harmon  scarcely  heard  the  music.  She  was  watch- 
ing her  husand.  Never  before  had  she  seen  that  wrapt 
expression  on  his  face,  half  ecstatic,  half  melancholy.  At 
times  it  lit  into  rapturous  luminance,  corresponding  to 
the  liquid  notes  which  the  girl  drew  from  the  instrument 
as  she  drew  the  bow  lightly  and  gracefully  across  the 
strings.  Her  own  face  changed  with  the  music  as  she 
bent  and  swayed  to  its  passionate  measures.  Some  will 
understand  when  I  say  it  was  Schumann's  "  Traumerei" 
that  she  played.  Fred  sat  in  pensive  thought  for  a  while 
afterwards,  then  he  grew  over-talkative,  and  to  cover 
the  awkward  position  in  which  this  left  them  all,  Myrnie 

133 


In  ike  Land  of  Extremes. 

suggested  that  they  go  out  to  see  the  little  lambs  in  the 
corral. 

Mrs.  Long's  son,  with  his  farming  instincts,  had  con- 
verted the  few  acres  of  land  behind  his  mother's  house 
into  a  farm.  He  had,  among  other  live  stock,  a  few 
sheep. 

Wallace  was  wild  with  delight  when  taken  inside  the 
corral.  The  lambs  surrounded  him  and  rubbed  their  wet 
little  noses  against  his  hands  and  face.  Then  he  had  a 
race  with  Myrnie,  and  a  lot  of  fun  with  the  baby  sheep, 
while  the  parents  stood  by  the  fence  and  enjoyed  the 
sport  as  well. 

The  sun  spread  its  good  warmth  over  all  the  earth, 
the  grass  was  fresh  and  green,  flowers  bloomed  along 
the  irrigating  ditches  and  the  birds  tried  to  excel  each 
other  in  their  song;  it  seemed  to  Fred  that  earth  had 
never  before  expressed  so  much  happiness. 

The  party  went  back  to  the  yard,  and  the  parents  sat 
on  a  rustic  seat  while  Myrnie  and  Wallace  played  a  ball 
game  of  the  girl's  own  invention.  How  the  boy 
screamed  with  delight  when  the  game  went  his  way,  as 
Myrnie  contrived  to  make  it ! 

Of  all  this  girl's  pretty  ways,  there  was  none  more 
charming  than  her  way  with  children.  She  won  her  way 
into  the  hearts  of  children  as  readily  and  naturally  as 
she  did  into  the  hearts  of  men.  And  to  play  with  chil- 
dren, she  often  declared,  was  one  of  her  chief  delights. 
She  proved  the  truth  of  this  statement  when  she  played 
their  games.  Perhaps  it  was  not  mere  play  with  her. 
The  years  slid  back  a  decade  or  more  and  she  became  a 
child  in  spirit  and  in  looks.  At  such  times  she  grew  mys- 
terious,— believed  in  Santa  Claus  and  in  fairies  and  went 

134 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

chasing  through  woods  and  under  hedges  to  seek  them 
out.  She  became  as  imaginative  as  a  child,  till  the  chil- 
dren she  played  with  felt  no  difference  between  her  and 
themselves.  And  how  fondly  they  loved  her! 

Mrs.  Harmon  remained  silent  all  the  evening.  She 
was  still  absorbed  in  the  study  of  her  husband,  and  was 
too  keen  not  to  get  an  inkling  of  what  his  preoccupation 
indicated. 

Now  he  went  to  lean  on  the  fence  near  the  players 
where  he  could  get  a  plainer  view  of  the  animated  face 
which  every  minute  grew  more  rosy  and  more  and  more 
lovely. 

His  wife  called  him  to  come  with  her  to  see  some 
flower  beds  in  the  back  part  of  the  yard,  as  though  to 
draw  him  away  even  for  a  minute.  She  claimed  to  be 
interested  in  the  way  the  borders  were  made  and  wished 
some  like  them  herself.  He  refused  to  go,  however,  de- 
claring his  interest  in  the  game.  She  then  screamed  at 
him,  and  he  went  to  save  a  scene.  While  they  were 
beyond  earshot  of  the  players,  she  said: 

"  You  act  like  a  loon  over  that  girl ;  can't  take  your 
eyes  off  her  for  one  minute." 

With  a  start,  Fred  thought  of  himself  for  the  first 
time,  but  merely  said,  "  She  is  certainly  entertaining 
Wallace.  They  make  a  healthy  picture, — like  two  chil- 
dren, instead  of  only  one." 

"  Yes,  you  are  fond  of  health  in  others,  but  for  you,  I 
should  have  had  my  health  to  this  day." 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean,  Amy  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  hurt 
voice. 

"  Don't  '  Amy*  me.  None  of  your  business  what  I 
mean.  You  take  me  home  at  once." 

135 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Come,  Wallace,  mamma  says  it  is  time  to  go  home," 
he  called  as  he  went  back  to  the  seat.  But  the  woman 
stood,  a  gaunt  figure  of  pale  rage. 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  home,"  Wallace  sang  out. 

"  Come,  come/'  urged  the  father. 

"  I  will  not  do  it,"  the  boy  yelled  back. 

"  Wallace,"  his  mother  called,  and  the  child  began  to 
cry. 

'Myrnie  suggested  that  they  stay  till  it  was  cooler,  re- 
marking that  it  was  not  late. 

"  She  is  even  trying  to  rob  me  of  the  love  of  my  child," 
the  woman  said  to  herself,  and  her  anger  grew  apace. 

"  I  say  I  wish  to  go  home.  Who  makes  suggestions 
to  me  ?  "  A  greenish  pallor  overspread  her  face,  and  in  a 
minute  she  was  vomiting.  Fred  was  alarmed ;  he  ran  to 
her  and  held  her  head,  while  Myrnie  brought  restoratives, 
and  the  woman  soon  recovered. 

When  Myrnie  expressed  her  sympathy,  Mrs.  Harmon 
snapped  her  up.  The  girl  was  bewildered  and  Fred  was 
embarrassed,  but  he  dared  not  make  excuses  for  his  wife 
for  fear  of  her  reproaches. 

Wallace  had  continued  to  cry  more  loudly  as  his 
mother  grew  ill,  and  now  still  stood  whimpering,  which 
he  continued  all  the  way  home,  notwithstanding  that  his 
mother  shook  and  slapped  him  soundly. 

"  If  that  girl  is  a  decent  person,  then  all  signs  of  nature 
fail,"  she  ripped  out  as  they  drove  along.  "Where  in- 
deed did  she  get  that  figure?  Virgins  do  not  develop  in 
that  way." 

"  Oh,  Amy !  I  think  you  should  be  ashamed  of  that 
speech,"  Fred  exclaimed. 

"  I  should  be  ashamed  all  the  time,  of  course,  accord- 

136 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ing  to  you.  Entertaining  Wallace !  Yes,  she  cares  a  lot 
for  Wallace.  I  can  read  her  there.  That  is  only  a  ruse 
she  has  to  trap  you,  and  you,  like  the  fool  you  are,  bite." 

To  this  Fred  said  nothing.  He  knew  that  what  he 
should  say  would  only  make  matters  worse,  so  he  sat 
doggedly  on  the  edge  of  the  seat  and  drove  the  horse 
dutifully.  When  they  reached  home  Wallace  came  to  his 
father,  and  putting  his  arm  around  his  neck,  held  him 
tight  with  these  words,  "  I  want  to  love  you,  papa,"  as 
he  always  did  when  he  heard  him  being  scolded. 

Mrs.  Harmon  went  to  bed  immediately,  and  there  she 
stayed  for  three  days,  to  pay  for  her  uncontrollable  tem- 
per. But,  of  course,  Fred  was  entirely  to  blame  for  this 
sickness,  as  he  was  told  every  time  he  came  into  the 
house. 

Upon  these  occasions  the  man  would  hurry  from  his 
house  as  soon  as  he  could.  He  wished  to  spare  his  wife 
the  vexing  sight  of  himself.  He  tried  to  discern  what 
the  future  might  hold,  but  only  fog  met  his  vision,  dim- 
ming every  object  and  outline.  There  appeared  one 
bright  path  in  view,  but  that  path,  by  the  established  rules 
of  morality,  was  foresworn  to  him.  He  tried  to  keep  his 
eyes  from  wandering  in  that  direction  because  these  for- 
bidden glances  only  made  life  harder  for  him;  but  ah! 
this  avenue  was  alluring  in  the  extreme.  He  feared  that 
a  time  might  come  when  his  strength  would  fail  him,  and 
he  should  rush  headlong  into  the  glories  of  this  dream, 
heedless  of  consequences. 


137 


CHAPTER  XII. 


MRS.  MURPHY,  bosom  friend  of  Mrs.  Long,  gave  card 
parties  to  a  certain  set  who  considered  themselves  the 
"  four  hundred  "  of  Phoenix.  Do  not  smile  at  the  idea 
of  Phoenix  having  its  four  hundred.  Every  community, 
however  sparsely  populated  and  insignificant  so  far  as 
society  is  concerned,  has  its  exclusive  members.  Let  six 
shipwrecked  persons  escape  to  a  desert  island  and  set  up  a 
colony  there.  In  three  days  the  four  hundred  of  the 
number  will,  by  some  mark  of  superiority,  have  set  itself 
apart  and  have  made  its  influence  felt.  This  is  one  of 
the  strong  straits  in  human  nature.  To  return  to  Mrs. 
Murphy.  She  lived  in  a  magnificent  house,  large  roomed 
and  spacious  hailed,  which  served  as  a  most  delightful 
rendezvous  for  this  particular  set  of  would-be  four  hun- 
dreds. With  her  whole-souled,  Celtic  disposition,  she 
always  contrived  to  make  every  one  comfortable.  You 
could  not  look  at  her,  or  step  inside  of  her  house,  with- 
out feeling  something  of  the  atmosphere  of  comfort 
which  she  reflected. 

Mrs.  Long  had  often  tried  to  induce  Myrnie  to  ac- 
company her  to  these  functions,  her  hostess  having  urged 
her  to  bring  her  young  friend,  but  Myrnie  would  never 
consent  to  being  numbered  among  these  people,  since, 
according  to  some  of  Mrs.  Long's  reminiscences  of  what 

138 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

took  place,  and  of  what  some  of  the  gentlemen  had  said 
to  her,  the  girl  considered  them  a  bit  too  smart  for  her. 

"  Honey,  please  do  come  with  nre  this  time,"  the  widow 
pleaded.  "Your  friends  the  Harmons  are  to  be  there, 
besides  Judge  Murdock  and  his  bride  and  the  Secretary 
and  his  daughter." 

Myrnie  was  a  bit  interested.  She  sat  ruminating  for 
awhile. 

"  All  right,  Mrs.  Long,  you  may  telephone  Mrs.  Mur- 
phy to  count  on  me  this  time.  I  believe  I  should  like  a 
little  dip  into  the  '  four  hundred '  of  Phoenix."  And 
the  evening  of  the  party  found  the  girl  quite  eager  to  go. 
She  went  with  Mrs.  Long  and  the  "  Doctor." 

This  seemed  like  society  indeed  to  Myrnie,  but  she 
felt  conscious  of  being  gowned  more  plainly  than  the 
other  ladies  present.  She  did  not  mind  this,  however, 
because  she  was  the  youngest  person  in  the  number. 
But  rich  silks  and  lace  dresses  were  plentiful,  to  say 
nothing  of  jewels  and  diamonds. 

Myrnie  wore  a  cream  crepe  dress  trimmed  with  black 
velvet.  The  cut  of  the  gown  displayed  to  advantage  her 
fine  figure.  Her  arms,  beautiful  as  you  can  imagine 
arms  to  be,  were  bare  to  the  elbows,  about  which  fell  rich 
frills  of  lace,  but  on  her  arms  and  hands  were  no  adorn- 
ments. Her  wonderful  hair  was  fluffed  and  piled  high. 

Simple  as  was  her  costume,  how  far  she  outshone  the 
ladies  with  whom  she  was  contrasted  during  the  evening ! 
This  fresh  young  beauty  needed  no  artificial  adornment. 
That  larger  personality  and  individuality  spoke,  making 
her  presence  felt.  She  reminded  one  of  Venus  with  the 
lesser  stars  around  her,  and  every  man  present  felt  this 
fact  in  one  form  or  another. 

139 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Which  do  men  admire  most,  tight-laced  figures,  with 
paint  and  powder  and  gewgaws,  exhaling  that  odor  of 
experience,  or  a  calm,  full  face  resting  in  a  bloom  of 
youth,  an  unconscious  innocence,  clear,  truthful  eyes, 
sweet  tender  mouth,  and  wrapped  in  the  atmosphere  of 
stainlessness  ?  But  her  quiet,  dignified  composure  did  as 
much  for  her  as  did  her  natural  refinement.  She  had  to 
be  introduced  to  most  of  the  guests  present,  and  the 
gentlemen,  naturally  enough,  looked  searchingly  at  her 
and  managed  to  exchange  a  few  words  with  her.  But 
this  disconcerted  her  not  at  all.  She  knew  the  way  to 
the  hearts  of  all  these  men  if  she  would  but  choose  to  find 
it.  Men  never  embarrassed  her.  The  women  alone 
did  that. 

Mrs.  Harmon  greeted  her  coldly  and  with  surprise. 
Fred  changed  his  demeanor  at  once  from  that  of  bored 
reserve  to  animated  jollity,  of  which,  of  course,  his  wife 
did  not  fail  to  take  note.  When  the  tables  commenced  to 
fill  by  fours  and  sixes  for  the  games,  Fred  walked  over 
to  Myrnie  and  asked  her  to  play  with  him.  "  Come,"  he 
said,  "  let  us  trim  the  Judge  and  Miss  Florence." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  play  with  you,  Mr.  Harmon,  but  I 
am  afraid  you  are  choosing  one  who  can  help  you  win 
few  honors.  I  know  so  little  about  bridge.  I  never 
do  keep  track  of  the  cards,  it  is  too  great  a  strain  on  the 
feminine  mind."  Several  who  were  near  laughed  heart- 
ily at  this,  but  Mrs.  Harmon  stepped  up  and  told  them 
that  Mrs.  Murphy  had  the  tables  all  planned.  Such  was 
indeed  the  case,  but  the  plan  was  overruled  in  this 
instance. 

By  this  time  they  were  seated  and  cutting  for  the  deal 
amid  loud  talking,  joking  and  laughter.  The  dining- 
room  and  library  opened  into  the  large  parlor,  and  tables 

140 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ivere  placed  in  these  three  rooms  at  comfortable  distances. 
Hie  house  was  lighted  brilliantly.  Flowers  artistically 
arranged  were  everywhere  in  profusion,  permeating  all 
space  with  their  redolence.  The  roses,  more  fragrant 
:han  the  others,  held  out  their  blushing  faces  inviting 
misses,  proud  of  their  early  appearance,  yet  diffident. 

Gayety  of  a  free  sort  was  evinced  from  every  quarter, 
md  laughter  unchecked  rang  through  the  cheerful  house, 
[n  no  group  was  there  greater  merriment  than  at  the 
fudge's  table.  Of  course  there  were  those  tables  where 
:hey  played  soberly  and  with  deep  interest,  but  this  was 
lot  the  rule  in  regard  to  anything  in  Mrs.  Murphy's 
louse. 

Mrs.  Harmon's  position  commanded  a  full  view  of  the 
Fudge's  table,  and  she  kept  a  sharp  eye  out  for  what  was 
joing  on.  Her  partner,  who  had  played  the  game  with 
ler  before,  knew  her  to  be  a  champion.  In  fact,  she  had 
lelped  to  carry  off  the  first  prize  at  the  last  three  parties 
>he  had  been  able  to  attend,  but  on  this  occasion,  he 
loticed  that  she  manifested  no  interest  in  the  game.  She 
ost  incessantly,  and  others  began  to  notice  her  abstracted 
noments  and  speculate  as  to  the  cause.  Her  face  wore 
i  strained  alertness  and  her  eyes  were  the  eyes  of  one 
vho  listens  intently.  She  was  almost  beautiful  in  this 
lushed  and  excited  watchfulness,  but  the  game  suffered. 
5he  played  the  ace  of  trumps  on  her  partner's  king. 

How  different  with  Fred.  He  was  having  the  time  of 
lis  life,  his  partner  was  winning  with  him,  they  were 
laying  hand  in  hand.  One  thing  did  upset  him  a  little, 
md  that  was  the  good  time  his  partner  contrived  to  have 
vith  other  men.  Fred  wished  she  would  save  all  her 
imiles  for  him,  but  she  would  divide  them.  Of  the  single 

141 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

men  he  had  no  fear ;  only  the  married  men  were  bother- 
ing him. 

At  the  close  of  the  game  it  was  found  that  Fred  and 
Myrnie  had  made  the  score  of  the  evening,  and  the  prize 
was  awarded  them.  After  this,  partners  for  refreshments 
were  drawn  by  lots  through  an  ingenious  invention  of  the 
hostess,  which  device  caused  much  laughter. 

As  luck  would  have  it,  Fred  drew  Myrnie,  and  much 
sport  was  made  of  the  coincidence.  Mrs.  Harmon  had 
drawn  a  whimsical  bachelor,  one  Todd  Payne,  who,  al- 
though not  over  popular  with  the  ladies,  was  a  very 
bright  man  nevertheless.  This  bachelor  had  been  smitten 
with  Myrnie  from  the  first  sight  of  her,  had  taken  inven- 
tory of  the  charms  with  which  nature  had  so  generously 
endowed  her,  but  it  had  not  as, yet  been  his  good  fortune 
to  get  more  than  a  word  with  her. 

"  Lucky  dog  that  your  husband  always  is.  Of  course, 
he  was  sure  to  draw  the  girl  I  had  hoped  to  get,"  he  com- 
plained to  Mrs.  Harmon.  "  Not  that  I  do  not  appreciate 
your  company,  but  eligible  men  like  being  thrown  with 
eligible  women,  you  know,  and  particularly  women  of 
that  rare  type." 

"  I  can  see  nothing  rare  about  the  type,  Todd,  and  I 
take  no  offence  if  you  want  to  know  her.  We  can  ar- 
range the  thing  nicely."  Mrs.  Harmon  spoke  smilingly. 
"  I  want  to  be  with  Fred  this  evening,  and  I  am  sure 
Miss  Leston  would  prefer  you  to  Fred,  so  we  will  just 
go  over  and  change  partners." 

"  No,  no,"  Todd  protested,  but  Mrs.  Harmon  was 
already  leading  him  by  the  sleeve  over  to  where  Myrnie 
and  Fred  were  laughing  and  talking. 

"  We  came  a-bargaining,"  the  woman  ejaculated  with 
a  show  of  assumed  pleasantry.  "  We  are  both  dissatis- 

142 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

fied  with  our  lot.  I  prefer  Fred's  company  for  refresh- 
ments and  Todd  wishes  to  become  better  acquainted  with 
Miss  Leston,  so  we  have  decided  to  change  with  you." 

"  Then  we  have  no  voice  in  the  matter  ? "  Fred  put 
in,  showing  resistance. 

"  Supposing  we  refuse  ?  "  Myrnie  asked  in  the  same 
breath. 

"  Fate  seems  to  have  thrown  us  together  to-night,  so 
I  think  we  had  better  stay  as  she  placed  us." 

"  Fate,  humbug !  "  And  Mrs.  Harmon  shot  a  light- 
ning glance  at  Myrnie,  meaning  it  to  shrivel  her,  but  it 
had  not  that  effect  at  all. 

"  I  understand  this  kind  of  shenanegan,  but  it  does 
not  work  with  me."  Mrs.  Harmon  took  her  husband's 
arm  and  drew  him  away.  No  one  else  heard  this.  All 
were  busy  finding  partners  or  rejoicing  over  partners 
already  found.  Myrnie  and  Todd  were  left  alone  to- 
gether; they  looked  at  each  other  a  little  perplexed,  un- 
decided whether  the  lady  were  joking  or  not,  but  they 
decided  to  treat  it  as  such,  and  moved  away  to  seek  the 
seclusion  of  a  curtained  alcove.  Mrs.  Murphy's  house 
was  full  of  these  cozy  corners,  made  inviting  by  great 
heaps  of  sofa  pillows.  A  little  table  covered  with  deli- 
cious refreshments  was  brought  them  by  a  maid. 

Mrs.  Harmon  and  her  husband  sat  with  a  group  of 
others.  She  seemed  particularly  gay  and  youthful  to- 
night, laughing  and  chatting  incessantly.  Occasionally 
she  shot  a  triumphant  glance  toward  the  alcove  where 
Todd  and  Myrnie  sat.  There  sober  discussion  was  wag- 
ing. Both  being  of  the  same  turn  of  mind;  they  had 
gotten  into  deep  water  at  once  and  were  discussing  the 
merits  of  the  works  of  J.  M.  Barrie,  whom  both  admired 
greatly. 

143 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

At  the  close  of  the  evening's  gayeties,  Myrnie  and 
Todd,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  one  present  and  to  the 
chagrin  of  others,  departed  together. 

As  soon  as  Mrs.  Harmon  was  alone  with  her  husband, 
she  took  his  arm  coquettishly  and  hugged  it  fondly.  "  I 
feel  so  well  to-night,  Fred,  I  know  I  am  going  to  get 
well  and  strong,  and  we  are  going  to  be  so  happy  to- 
gether hereafter." 

This  statement  was  so  unlike  anything  he  had  ever  be- 
fore heard  from  her  that  he  discredited  his  own  ears  for 
a  few  minutes.  Finally  he  managed  to  say,  "  Nothing 
would  please  me  so  much  as  to  have  you  past  all  that  suf- 
fering, Amy." 

"  I  just  feel  it  to-night,  Fred;  I  just  know  it.  I  am 
going  to  get  well." 

To  this  he  said  nothing,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
being  at  an  utter  loss  to  understand  the  creature  beside 
him. 

When  they  reached  home  the  eager  wife  ran  away  to 
the  sleeping  child,  but  it  was  not  very  long  before  Fred 
heard  her  call,  "  Fred !  Fred,  come  here." 

He  followed  her  at  once,  wondering  what  she  could 
want  of  him,  and  hurried  along  in  the  dark,  fearing  that 
the  boy  might  be  ill.  When  he  reached  his  wife's  room, 
however,  he  found  the  child  sleeping  peacefully,  but  his 
wife  was  standing  beside  the  child's  bed,  clad  in  a  dainty 
nightdress,  with  her  hair  hanging  glossy  and  brown  about 
her  shoulders,  one  bare  foot  peeping  from  under  her 
robe. 

"  Just  look  at  our  beauty  of  a  child,  papa.  How  sweetly 
he  sleeps !  He  is  so  well  and  strong  and  just  like  you, 
dear;  and  think,  he  is  just  mine  and  yours."  She  looked 
up  at  him  and  smiled,  but  Fred  remained  grave  and 

144 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

sober.  She  bent  to  kiss  the  forehead  of  the  unconscious 
sleeper,  and  her  body  touched  Fred  as  she  did  so,  but  this 
contact,  instead  of  producing  the  effect  she  desired,  sent 
a  thrill  of  disgust  through  him. 

"  Cover  him  well,  Amy,"  was  all  he  said,  then  turned 
and  left  her,  going  to  his  own  room,  where  he  commenced 
to  disrobe  and  prepare  for  rest.  Soon  the  door  of  his 
chamber  opened,  and  he  turned  to  see  his  wife  enter. 
She  perched  herself  in  his  rocker  and  proceeded  to  rock 
and  chatter  about  what  had  taken  place  at  the  party.  She 
mentioned  Myrnie's  name  several  times  in  a  casual  way, 
complimented  her  once,  as  a  means  of  throwing  him  off 
the  track,  as  she  thought,  and  ended  by  remarking  that 
Todd  Payne  "was  fair  smashed  on  her." 

"  Did  you  notice  the  way  they  found  the  secluded  cor- 
ner?" 

"  You  had  better  go  to  your  bed,  Amy,  instead  of  sit- 
ting out  here  in  this  cold  room.  You  know  your  doctor 
wants  you  to  sleep  in  the  fore  part  of  the  night  as  much 
as  you  can." 

"  I  have  almost  a  notion  to  sleep  in  here  with  you, 
Fred.  You  could  keep  me  just  as  warm."  She  sat 
watching  her  husband  as  he  went  about  his  nightly  pre- 
parations, but  seeing  no  approval  of  her  suggestion  in 
his  bearing,  she  said:  "All  right,  Fred.  I'll  go  to  bed 
and  be  a  good  girl  for  you."  She  put  up  her  mouth  to  be 
kissed,  something  she  had  not  done  in  years. 

"  Good  night,  Amy,"  and  he  kissed  her  forehead. 

She  ran  away  to  her  own  room  and  was  soon  sleeping 
the  sleep  of  the  happy,  but  Fred  lay  awake  for  hours 
puzzled,  and  sickened,  at  the  change  which  had  come 
over  his  wife  in  the  last  few  hours. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


"  I  HAVE  discharged  my  nurse ,  Fred.  Only  the  maid 
and  Wallace  and  I  have  been  in  the  house  for  the  last 
three  days,"  Amy  announced  to  her  husband  several  days 
later,  upon  his  return  from  another  one  of  his  extended 
jaunts  of  mineral  hunting  in  the  mountains.  She  was 
sitting  on  a  sunny  veranda  with  her  fancy  work,  dressed 
in  black  silk  neglige.  The  loose  sleeve  of  her  robe  fell 
back,  displaying  a  small  arm  and  tiny  hand  clutching  an 
embroidery  hoop,  wherein  the  most  exquisite  orchids 
grew  stitch  by  stitch,  in  silk.  An  animated  light  shone 
in  her  eyes,  and  a  venturesome  smile  played  about  her 
mouth  where  the  dimples  used  to  be.  The  habitually 
downturned  corners  of  her  mouth  had  taken  an  upward 
trend.  All  these  changes  came  to  Fred  with  a  shock  of 
surprise.  He  remembered  when  she  had  looked  like  this 
years  ago,  as  he  looked  at  her  long  and  quizzically. 

"  You  certainly  do  look  surprisingly  well,  Amy,  but 
don't  you  think  you  have  acted  a  bit  hastily?  Now,  do 
not  overdo  yourself  as  you  so  often  do,  upon  the  advent 
of  these  times  of  recuperation,  and  no  doubt  you  can 
keep  well  for  a  long  time." 

"  Oh,  it  is  plain  enough  that  you  do  not  think  I  am 
getting  well  at  all,"  she  exclaimed,  as  she  threw  her  work 
in  the  basket  disgustedly ;  "and  that  is  anything  but  en- 

146 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

couraging.  It  is  only  for  your  sake  that  I  care  to  get 
well  at  all.  Will  you  not  help  me  by  believing  in  my 
recovery,  Fred?"  she  asked  sorrowfully. 

"  I  will  do  anything  to  help  you,  Amy ;  you  surely  know 
that.  But  do  you  think  my  faith  can  make  you  whole? 
What  did  the  doctor  say?" 

"  Not  exactly,  but  it  would  help  some  if  you  seemed 
pleased  to  have  me  well.  You  go  and  talk  to  the  doctor 
yourself.  He  will  tell  you  that  I  need  no  medicine." 

"  How  silly !  You  know  I  have  always  done  every- 
thing in  my  power  to  help  you  recover.  How  do  you  ac- 
count for  this  mysterious  change?  You  have  taken  no 
new  medicine  or  treatment  recently.  If  you  remain  so 
well  for  a  long  time  then  I  shall  believe  that  you  are 
really  well;  but  you  have  always  had  these  spells  of 
temporary  improvement." 

"  I  do  not  try  to  account  for  my  recovery.  I  only 
know  there  came  to  me  a  great  desire  and  determination 
to  be  well,  and  I  find  myself  well.  I  have  never  felt  like 
this  before  when  I  grew  better;  I  always  knew  that  I 
would  be  sick  again,  but  I  do  not  think  that  way  now. 
Is  that  not  enough  ?  " 

Fred  was  unable  to  comprehend  this  kind  of  talk.  He 
thought  soberly  for  awhile  and  said,  "  Well,  maybe." 

"  Her  case  has  always  puzzled  me,"  Dr.  Morris  con- 
fessed to  him  the  next  day.  "  I  have  never  had  a  case 
like  hers.  I  am  convinced  that  drugs  have  had  no  part 
in  her  recovery.  Her  malady  seemed  to  be  entirely  of 
the  mind.  I  have  always  thought  that  if  she  could  be 
roused  into  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  that 
surround  her,  become  possessed  of  some  kind  of  joy,  or 
even  sorrow, — anything  to  awaken  and  stir  her  out  of 

147 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  rut  of  ennui  in  which  she  has  dwelt  for  years,  that 
she  could  build  up  and  her  physical  ailments  would  dis- 
appear. But  she  would  dwell  in  that  attitude  of  dire 
discontent  and  complaint,  till  her  entire  being  and  body 
were  saturated  with  it.  The  mind  has  a  greater  influ- 
ence over  the  body  than  we  know.  Doctors  are  finding 
this  to  be  true,  and  no  one  in  her  state  of  mind  could  be 
well.  As  near  as  I  can  draw  from  her  present  condition, 
she  has  recently  taken  a  new  and  a  powerful  interest  in 
life.  She  denies  all  this  to  me,  but  to  be  frank  and  truth- 
ful with  you,  Harmon/7  here  the  physician  lowered  his 
voice,  "  I  should  say  that  your  wife  has  fallen  in  love, 
— she  has  every  symptom.  Now,  if  such  be  the  case," 
here  the  man  placed  a  tender  hand  on  his  listener's  shoul- 
der, "  do  not  interfere  with  this  new  attachment.  I  know 
this  sounds  like  awfully  queer  talk  from  me,  old  man, 
but  think  what  it  means  to  her.  It  is  her  only  chance 
of  recovery,  and  it  will  bring  her  health,  happiness  every- 
thing,— while  if  she  is  thwarted  in  this  affair,  death  only 
can  eventually  result,  must  follow  in  the  footsteps  of 
ennui,  which  kills  mind  and  body.  Be  brave  Harmon. 
Look  at  the  thing  sensibly." 

A  sarcastic  smile  crept  over  the  face  of  the  wretched 
man  as  he  stared  fixedly  into  the  benevolent  eyes  of  the 
speaker.  He  felt  a  wave  of  admiration  for  this  man 
before  him.  The  speech  he  had  just  delivered  showed 
that  he  studied  his  patient  closely,  understood  her,  and 
was  brave  enough  to  broach  anything  for  her  welfare. 
This  is  the  ideal  physician. 

Fred  turned  from  him  abruptly,  strode  about  for  a 
minute,  then  stopped  by  a  window  to  gaze  out.  He  was 
the  picture  of  misery. 

148 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  See  here,  old  fellow,  don't  take  it  that  way.  Look  at 
it  from  my  standpoint."  The  well-meaning  doctor  went 
over  to  Fred  and  clasped  his  shoulder,  but  Fred  inter- 
rupted him. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  understand  all  you  would  say.  She  de- 
serves her  little  hour  of  love  and  happiness,  her  day  of 
soul  development,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  us,  and  from 
your  theory  it  would  follow  that  such  has  never  been 
hers  till  recently.  I  understand.  One  soul's  happiness 
is  worth  as  much  as  another's,  and  when  a  life  depends 
on  it — yes,  I  understand,  and  I  promise  not  to  interfere." 
Fred  went  out  of  the  office  before  the  physician  could 
speak  further. 

It  was  remarkable  to  note  the  metamorphosis  through 
which  Amy  had  passed.  Very  little  of  her  old  self,  either 
in  spirit  or  physique,  seemed  to  remain.  She  grew  round, 
plump  and  rosy,  almost  girlish  in  appearance,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  she  was  a  woman  of  thirty-five. 
There  was  a  spring  in  her  walk,  almost  a  swagger,  in 
fact,  instead  of  the  weary  drag  of  her  old-time  gait. 
She  sang  snatches  of  love  songs,  as  she  went  about  the 
house  giving  cheerful  directions  to  the  maid.  She  be- 
gan to  take  delight  in  the  happiness  of  others,  and  sym- 
pathized deeply  with  those  in  trouble.  Flowers  absorbed 
her,  the  blue  sky,  the  song  of  a  bird,  the  green  growing 
things  in  the  garden.  At  last  she  was  alive  to  this  spark- 
ling world  of  ours,  was  awake  to  its  thrilling  touch,  while 
but  a  short  time  back,  she  had  been  as  one  dead.  Glory 
be  to  God,  she  lived! 

With  this  new  participation  in  existence  came  a  power- 
ful instinct  and  desire  to  protect  and  guard  that  which 
she  valued,  and  with  cunning  forethought  her  eager  fin- 

149 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

gers  reached  out  into  the  future  and  pulled  a  wire  here 
and  there.  For  example,  numerous  tales  of  the  Beauty 
Lady  were  being  poured  into  the  excited  ears  of  Wallace, 
but  alas,  wonder  of  wonders,  the  enchanting  being  who 
had  in  all  the  former  tales  been  the  incarnation  of  all 
that  was  good  and  holy  was  surely  going  to  the  bad. 

"  But  mamma,"  the  child  would  protest,  in  the  midst 
of  a  thrilling  tale,  "  you  forget,  mamma,  that  would  not 
be  so.  She  would  not  pinch  the  babies  to  hear  them 
cry.  The  Beauty  Lady  is  only  good." 

"  Yes,  she  did  do  that  very  thing,"  the  artful  mother 
assured  him.  "  Perhaps  she  is  turning  bad,  after  all."" 

"  No,  no,  please,  mamma.  Let's  not  have  her  bad. 
She  is  good,  don't  you  know  that,  mamma  ?  " 

Notwithstanding  the  poor  child's  tearfully  earnest 
pleadings,  his  designing  mother  continued  to  besmirch  his 
ideal,  tearing  down  the  idol  of  his  childish  fancy,  and 
erecting  on  its  pedestal  a  something  vile.  She  who  had 
been  the  creator  of  his  angel  now  proved  its  destroyer. 

The  little  fellow  finally  broke  down  one  day,  after 
hearing  how  the  Beauty  Lady  had  torn  down  the  fence  of 
swords  which  the  fairies  had  set  up  in  defence  against 
their  enemies,  the  bears  and  lions.  Before  the  wicked 
animals  could  be  repulsed,  they  attacked  the  fairies  and 
devoured  a  great  many  of  them. 

"  Mamma,  do  please  tell  me  just  one  more  story  in 
which  the  Beauty  Lady  is  good  again ;  'cause  I  can't  live 
at  all  if  she  is  bad  all  the  time,"  was  the  unhappy  boy's 
last  plea. 

"  All  right,  honey,  dry  those  tears,  and  I  will  try  to 
make  her  good  again."  He  clapped  his  hands  and 
screamed  with  joy,  whereupon  the  mother  launched  her 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

delighted  and  expectant  listener  into  the  intricacies  of  a 
dense  jungle,  where  the  fairies  had  flown  far,  far  from 
their  enemies ;  but  alas !  the  wicked  Beauty  Lady  found 
them  out  and  led  the  beasts  to  their  hiding-place. 

"So  you  see,"  she  told  him  as  his  under-lip  quivered, 
"  she  will  be  bad  in  spite  of  all  I  can  do."  I  wonder 
that  the  woman  could  have  had  the  heart,  but  she  was 
peering  far  into  the  future. 

After  this  all  memory  of  the  good  the  Beauty  Lady 
once  had  done  was  gradually  erased  from  the  child's 
mind.  He  began  to  look  only  for  the  bad  in  his  fallen 
angel,  and  helped  his  mother  devise  means  of  punish- 
ment for  her. 

Some  days  later,  Wallace  accompanied  his  father  up- 
town, where  they  happened  to  meet  Myrnie  on  the  street. 
Fred  engaged  her  in  a  short  conversation,  but  Wallace, 
contrary  to  his  former  inclinations  in  regard  to  Myrnie, 
ran  on  ahead  before  she  could  speak  to  him.  He  hid  be- 
hind a  post  and  watched  them  nervously,  with  a  lurking 
fear  lest  the  girl  cast  an  evil  spell  over  him  or  his  father. 
His  mother's  trick  was  admirably  effective.  Piqued,  and 
jealous  of  the  child's  affection  for  the  young  woman,  who 
was  to  him  the  personification  of  all  the  fabled  virtues 
of  the  Beauty  Lady,  she  had  succeeded  in  poisoning  his 
thoughts  against  her  by  working  on  his  easily  impres- 
sionable mind.  Hence,  the  newly  awakened  wickedness 
in  the  Beauty  Lady! 

Mrs.  Harmon  began  to  devote  herself  completely  to 
pleasing  her  husband.  She  prepared  with  her  own  hands 
those  dishes  of  which  he  was  especially  fond,  and  brought 
them  to  him  the  acme  of  delicious  perfection.  She  frisked 
away  like  a  girl  to  get  his  slippers  for  him.  She  made 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

him  the  most  enticing  den  in  the  corner  of  the  library 
and  allowed  him  to  smoke  there,  a  thing  he  had  never 
dared  even  wish  to  do.  She  dressed  herself  attractively 
for  him,  came  and  sat  on  the  arm  of  his  chair,  and  lean- 
ing on  him,  would  read  his  paper  with  him  from  over 
his  shoulder. 

Fred  paid  little  heed  to  all  this.  Sometimes  he  chided 
her  for  doing  work  that  she  paid  the  maid  to  do. 

"  But,  Fred,  I  really  do  love  to  do  these  things  for  you. 
I  am  well  now,  you  know."  This  kind  of  argument  got 
the  better  of  him.  He  would  be  compelled  to  succumb 
and  thank  her  for  her  kindness.  She  tried  to  heap  affec- 
tion upon  him  in  a  hundred  little  artful  ways.  This, 
too,  drew  from  him  only  cold  complacence.  She  now 
demanded  that  his  evenings  be  spent  at  home  with  her. 
These  were  his  most  trying  hours. 

One  starlight  night  he  sat  alone  on  the  veranda,  fight- 
ing with  himself  as  but  few  men  do  struggle  with  their 
baser  natures,  resolving  every  minute  to  love  his  wife 
and  to  make  her  happy;  but  his  truant  desires  would  as 
often  go  galloping  away  to  a  face  which  to  him,  when 
he  looked  into  it,  was  alight  with  the  effulgence  of  purity 
and  all  that  there  is  in  this  world  for  man,  till  his  soul 
was  aflame  with  a  sacred  passion. 

His  wife  stole  softly  to  him  and  cuddled  down  in  his 
lap.  She  pinched  his  cheek,  then  smoothing  the  hair 
away  from  his  brow,  kissed  him  gently.  Her  kisses  trav- 
eled about  over  his  face  till  they  came  to  his  mouth,  and 
there  they  lingered.  The  fragrant  odor  of  carnations  hung 
about  her.  Fred  had  noticed  this  same  perfume  about 
his  loved  one.  Strange  that  his  wife  should  have  it. 
She  had  never  used  anything  but  violets  before.  He 

152 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

closed  his  eyes  and  fell  to  dreaming.  If  this  were  only 
Myrnie.  Oh,  God,  if  she  would  only  fondle  him  like 
this  !  His  dreams  led  him  on  and  on.  Condemn  him  not. 
He  was  only  flesh  and  blood, — only  man. 

His  arms  tightened  about  her  and  his  imagination  led 
him  still  further. 

"  Come,  Fred,"  the  woman  whispered,  and  led  him  to 
her  chamber.  The  room  was  very  dark  and  the  odor 
of  carnations  still  entranced  him. 

"  Love  me,  Fred.  I  am  well  now.  Let  us  go  back  to 
the  old  way  of  life.  Love  me  as  you  used  to  long  ago. 
Please,  please,  Fred." 

She  had  her  way  with  him.  He  drifted  back  with  her 
into  the  old  days.  Later  he  awoke  with  a  start  to  realize 
that,  though  he  had  tried  to  love  her  in  the  old  way,  he 
had  failed.  God !  and  how  great  was  the  failure,  he  knew 
only  when  he  looked  at  his  wife  still  sleeping  beside 
him,  and  loathed  her.  Yet  he  pitied  her,  too,  as  every 
man  must  pity  the  woman  who  begs  him  for  his  love. 
How  unworthy  he  felt !  There  could  be  no  going  back 
now.  He  went  to  his  own  room  and  tried  to  sleep,  but 
his  heart  was  tearing  his  side.  He  arose,  and  after  dress- 
ing, walked  forth  into  the  night,  directing  not  his  steps 
nor  caring  where  they  led  him,  until  he  found  himself 
a  mile  out  of  town  walking  back  and  forth  past  a  cot- 
tage on  the  Yuma  Road,  where  the  sacred  slumbered. 

Wretched  and  miserable,  still  he  strode  near  the  house, 
back  and  forth,  to  and  fro,  till  a  big  dog  came  plunging 
out  to  where  he  was  and  set  up  such  a  barking  and 
howling,  that  he  stole  away  quickly  like  a  thief,  lest  some- 
one would  come  to  see  what  the  hubbub  was  about.  He 
bent  his  steps  homeward  a  little  comforted,  for  he  had 

153 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

been  nearer  to  her.  As  he  walked  along  in  the  dim  light 
his  thoughts  ran  into  unreal  courses.  He  wished  that 
he  could  walk  on  and  on  to  the  end  of  forever,  forget 
this  life  and  all  that  had  belonged  to  it,  and  come  at  last 
to  a  golden  isle  where  she  should  be  waiting  for  him. 
His  mind  was  uplifted  to  its  highest  and  best.  Love  gives 
wings  to  the  imagination  of  even  the  most  prosaic.  On 
this  night  he  realized  the  truths  of  life  as  he  never  had 
before.  He  determined  to  foreswear  that  which  was 
too  high  for  him.  If  he  could  live  in  the  same  world 
with  her  and  see  her  once  in  a  while,  and  have  her  smile 
at  him  sometimes,  yes,  that  would  be  heaven. 

"  Poor  Amy,"  he  said,  "  Poor  Amy/'  as  his  thoughts 
recurred  to  his  wife. 

Weeks  went  by  in  which  Fred  and  Amy  lived  after 
the  manner  of  their  early  married  life.  He  petted  her 
and  fondled  her,  and  tried  to  drift  back  into  loving  her. 
She  began  to  feel  highly  flattered  to  think  his  love  had 
endured  the  long,  weary  years  of  abuse  she  had  showered 
upon  it,  never  giving  him  a  word  or  act  of  kindness,  let 
alone  love;  and  now,  when  she  so  desired,  it  stood  at 
her  beck  and  call. 

Little  she  knew  of  the  conflict  raging  in  the  heart  of 
the  one  who  now  called  her  "  dear,"  nor  did  she  dream 
of  the  lonely,  nocturnal  pilgrimages  to  the  cottage  a  mile 
away  on  the  Yuma  Road. 

Fred  told  himself  that  there  could  be  no  harm  in  his 
taking  this  stroll.  It  gave  him  comfort,  and  he  would 
indulge  himself  thus  far.  He  bribed  the  big  dog  into 
friendliness  with  a  pound  of  beef  which  he  bought  for 
the  purpose,  till  after  a  time  the  big  burly  fellow  looked 
eagerly  for  visits.  He  would  come  bounding  out  to  see 

154 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

him,  his  busy  tail  wagging,  and  a  dog's  smile  over  his 
face.  On  nights  when  Fred  did  not  come,  the  dog  sat 
and  howled  to  the  lonely  night. 

But  soon  these  solitary  hours  of  adoration  failed  to 
satisfy.  He  wanted  something  more  tangible,  more  real. 
He  began  to  long  for  the  presence  of  his  loved  one,  or  at 
least  a  word  from  her.  There  were  nights  when  he  could 
see  a  thin  streak  of  light  beneath  her  window-shade,  for 
he  had  already  found  out  which  was  her  chamber,  and  he 
knew  that  she  slept  not.  Was  she  thinking  of  him? 
Did  he  dare  hope  that  ? 


155 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


ON  a  shadowy  night  when  Fred  stood  looking  at  the 
streak  of  light  beneath  the  window-shade,  he  saw  a  lithe 
figure  clad  in  white  emerge  from  a  side  door  under  the 
window  and  make  its  way  to  the  garden  at  the  back  of 
the  house.  He  could  dimly  see  the  airy  shape  moving 
about  among  the  trees  and  shrubs,  nor  did  he  need  to 
be  told  who  it  was.  It  was  now  past  the  hour  of  ten 
and  the  other  members  of  the  house  were  sleeping. 

Fred  followed  the  figure  and  came  abruptly  upon  Myr- 
nie  as  she  turned  a  corner  of  the  path  and  faced  him. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Harmon,  how  you  frightened  me,"  she  said. 
Fred  saw  her  start  suddenly  as  she  stopped. 

"  Then  you  knew  me  at  once,  Myrnie  ?  "  he  said  com- 
ing near. 

"  Yes,  I  was  thinking  of  you  to-night,  and  you  walked 
right  into  my  thoughts  and  made  them  a  reality." 

"  Then  it  was  your  sacred  thought  that  drew  me.  But 
strange  that  you  should  be  out  here  at  this  hour.  You 
do  not  prowl  this  way  of  nights,  do  you?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,  during  light  moon.  I  love  the  moon- 
light. I  was  so  lonesome  and  restless  to-night;  I  could 
not  sleep,  so  I  came  seeking  the  calm  of  yon  devout  coun- 
tenance;" and  she  pointed  a  slender  finger  toward  the 
face  of  the  moon. 

156 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  I,  too,  was  restless  and  could  not  sleep,  but  I  came 
seeking  the  solace  of  this  face,"  and  placing  a  trembling 
linger  under  her  chin,  he  tipped  it  upward  and  looked 
into  her  eyes.  He  then  turned  abruptly  as  though  to 
check  an  impulsive  action,  and  commenced  pacing  back 
and  forth  in  deep  thought,  while  the  girl  stood  calmly 
by  and  watched  him. 

He  came  back  and  stood  in  front  of  her  hesitatingly, 
"  Will  you  talk  to  me  ?  I  am  in  great  trouble.  Tell  me 
what  I  must  do?" 

"  But  come  where  we  shall  disturb  no  one,"  she  said, 
leading  the  way  to/  a  little  summer-house  in  a  far  end  of 
the  garden.  The  grapevines  which  covered  the  struc- 
ture were  already  in  full  leaf,  sheltering  the  two  figures 
from  view.  A  propitious  wind  sprang  up,  rustling  the 
leaves  and  branches,  and  drowning  the  low  tones  of  their 
voices  with  its  murmur.  She  seated  herself  in  a  low 
chair  and  pointed  out  a  bench  to  him,  which  he  took 
gloomily  as  he  asked  again,  "  What  must  I  do  ?  " 

She  did  not  ask  him  the  nature  of  his  trouble.  Her 
subconscious  intellect  seemed  to  have  discerned  this.  She 
knew  that  he  suffered  and  she  felt  very  sorry  for  him. 
Myrnie's  was  too  tender  a  heart.  She  felt  for  anyone 
who  suffered,  though  he  be  a  vile  criminal  whose  suffering 
was  only  the  just  reward  of  his  deeds. 

She  held  her  lovely  hands  out  to  Fred  and  he  grasped 
them,  pressing  his  heated  face  down  on  her  cool  palms. 
His  agitation  passed;  he  sighed  heavily  from  time  to 
time  and  drew  from  her  blessed  hands  silent  comfort. 

The  girl  was  filled  with  wonder  at  the  novelty  of  this 
adventure.  This  must  be  near  to  love,  she  thought. 
Maybe  it  was  love.  Her  eyes  grew  large  and  sparkled 

157 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  more  as  they  caught  the  reflection  of  the  stars  peep- 
ing down  through  the  crevices.  An  hour  passed  and 
no  word  did  they  speak.  She  was  thinking  of  the  many 
romantic  tales  which  Mrs.  Long  had  told  her  of  the  illicit 
love  of  those  who  were  unhappily  married,  and  she  was 
beginning  to  think  that  in  some  rare  cases  this  may  be 
justifiable. 

Presently  they  were  disturbed  by  a  sharp  voice  in  the 
direction  of  the  house.  "  Myrnie,  where  are  you  ?  Come 
here,  child." 

"  Coming/'  she  called  back  as  they  both  arose.  "She'll 
be  out  here  in  a  minute,"  as  she  started  to  run  away.  He 
still  clung  to  her  hands,  muttering,  "  I  shall  come  again 
Sunday  night,"  but  she  wrenched  herself  free  and  was 
gone. 

"  Why  will  you  stay  out  there  in  the  night  air,  you 
little  romancing  goose,  and  all  alone,  too.  Go  to  bed." 
Mrs.  Long's  voice  was  as  near  a  scolding  pitch  as  her 
voice  ever  could  be  to  Myrnie. 

"  Please  do  not  disturb  me  again,  Mrs.  Long.  I  love 
to  sit  out  in  the  moonlight  and  think."  And  Myrnie's 
arms  went  about  the  tall  woman,  as  she  stood  on  tiptoe 
to  kiss  her  cheek.  She  was  in  rather  a  sentimental  mood 
just  then. 

"  Tastes  differ,  no  doubt,"  said  our  widow.  "  I  could  not 
blame  you  if  you  had  a  sweetheart,  but  how  useless  to 
stay  out  there  alone."  If  the  virtuous  widow  had  but 
known  that  such  was  indeed  the  case,  and  that  the  "sweet- 
heart "  was  a  married  man,  she  would  have  returned  the 
girl's  hug  soundly.  For  that  is  the  kind  of  a  woman  Mrs. 
Long  was.  Not  knowing  anything  of  this,  however, 
she  merely  sent  Myrnie  off  with  a  "  Go  to  bed,  I  am 

158 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

freezing  my  toes,"  and  each  went  to  her  room, — Myrnie 
amused  at  the  widow's  words,  the  widow  mentally  tuck- 
ing in  her  stubby  toes. 

It  was  Mrs.  Long  who  came  into  Myrnie's  room  a  few 
days  later  in  great  merriment.  "  What  do  you  suppose 
I  heard  up  town  this  morning?"  she  asked. 

"  I  can  not  imagine,  Mrs.  Long.  What  was  it  ?  "  And 
the  girl  looked  up  from  her  writing  in  smiling  expecta- 
tion. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha !"  How  our  widow  was  enjoying  herself. 
"  Well,  I  heard  that  you  are  trying  to  alienate  the  affec- 
tions of  Mrs.  Harmon's  husband,  that  you  are  trying  to 
break  up  her  home.  It  is  in  the  mouths  of  all  the  gos- 
sips. Mrs.  Murphy  told  me.  It  seems  Mrs.  Harmon 
started  the  trash  herself." 

Myrnie  grew  ashen.  An  expression  of  fright  and  em- 
barrassment went  over  her  face. 

"  What  did  you  say,  Mrs.  Long?  "  she  asked,  trembling. 

"  I  said  it  was  an  infamous  falsehood  instigated  by  a 
jealous  wife.  They  have  it  that  you  care  only  for  married 
men,  and  that  you  have  several  times  before  come  between 
husband  and  wife.  It  seems  that  Fullerton  and  Mrs. 
Harmon  have  been  exchanging  confidences,  and  they  say 
that  you  had  the  Adams'  actually  divorced,  and  the 
Stiners  estranged.  I  told  her  the  straight  of  those  two 
affairs,  of  course,  and  told  her  to  correct  such  yarns  when 
she  heard  them." 

"What  shall  I  do,  Mrs.  Long?"  Myrnie  had  arisen. 
She  was  pale  and  startled.  Never  before  had  she  heard 
her  name  bandied  around  amongst  the  gossips.  To 
every  woman  it  is  like  a  tragedy,  the  first  time  she  dis- 
covers that  her  name  is  being  used  in  vain. 

159 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Do,  child  ?  Just  follow  my  advice.  Do  nothing  at 
all.  Go  on  treating  Mr.  Harmon  just  the  same  as  ever, 
a  little  better,  if  anything.  That  sort  of  truck  can't  hurt 
you,  child.  Fact  is,  you  are  not  really  popular  in  this 
town  until  some  such  stuff  has  been  said  about  you.  I've 
had  my  experience  in  that  line,  I'll  tell  you.  I  used  to 
cry  over  it,  but  I  do  not  care  what  they  say  now,  and  they 
have  ceased  to  say  things  about  me.  Now,  how  is  a 
woman  to  help  it  if  she  is  pretty  and  attractive  and  men 
fall  in  love,  I'd  like  to  know.  Do  the  numb-skulls,  block- 
heads, fools,  think  just  because  a  man  has  married  some 
one  woman  that  he  is  never  to  care  for  another?  Oh, 
rot !  Such  dashed  nonsense  makes  me  sick !  Whenever 
you  learn,  little  girl,  to  live  for  your  own  pleasure  and 
not  to  care  for  what  narrow  minds  think  or  say  or  do, 
you  will  have  mastered  the  philosophy  of  life.  If  I  were 
you  I  would  make  that  woman  sick  of  her  job.  I'd  give 
her  something  to  be  jealous  of,  indeed  I  would,  if  she 
wants  to  be  jealous." 

"  No,  no,"  Myrnie  protested. 

"  Now,  do  not  be  the  little  chicken-hearted  fool  you 
always  have  been.  She  has  said  a  lot  of  other  nasty  stuff 
about  you,  and  she  is  merely  aiming  to  ruin  your  name. 
Make  it  hot  for  her !  I  will  help  you,  and  see  you  through. 
I  never  did  like  that  woman,  anyway,  and  I  would  like 
a  chance  to  get  even  with  her.  She  accused  me  of  cheat- 
ing at  cards  one  time,  right  before  a  houseful." 

"  No,  Mrs.  Long.  I  could  never  do  anything  like 
that.  It  would  be  entirely  out  of  my  line  School  will 
be  out  in  a  short  time  and  I  will  be  gone,  then  it  will  be 
forgotten." 

On  the  following  Sunday  night  at  about  the  same 
160 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

hour,  Fred  came  to  the  summer-house  and  waited,  but 
after  about  an  hour,  when  no  one  had  come  to  reward 
his  eager  waiting,  he  stole  beneath  the  window  where  the 
thin  streak  of  light  was  visible  at  the  bottom  of  the  shade. 
He  gazed  at  this  light  till  his  neck  was  tired.  Then 
stooping  to  the  ground,  he  gathered  up  a  handful  of 
gravel  and  threw  it  against  the  pane. 

The  troubled  girl  within  heard  the  sound  and  started. 
When  another  handful  of  the  same  again  struck  the  pane, 
'Myrnie  went  to  the  window  and  raised  the  sash.  She 
saw  the  figure  of  the  man  below  and  understood.  Lean- 
ing out  the  window,  however,  she  shook  her  head  at 
him,  and  motioning  him  away,  closed  the  window  and  ex- 
tinguished the  light. 

He  went  back  to  the  summer-house.  After  another 
hour  of  weary  waiting,  hoping  against  hope  that  she 
would  change  her  mind  and  come  out  to  him,  he  trudged 
back  to  town,  feeling  that  life  was  too  heavy  a  burden 
to  support.  But  every  night  he  made  his1  solitary  pilgri- 
mage to  the  summer-house,  thinking  that  she  might 
wander  out  there  again.  The  strain  was  beginning  to 
tell  on  him.  At  home  things  were  taking  a  dreadful  turn. 
Fred  had  been  holding  to  his  hard  set  task,  fighting  mind, 
body  and  soul  with  all  his  will  power,  but  the  will  power 
was  growing  weak.  During  the  day  he  managed  him- 
self well  enough,  but  when  evening  came  with  its  gentle, 
subtle  influences,  he  was  picked  up  as  by  a  whirlwind 
and  carried  to  the  place  against  which  will  power  had 
cautioned  him. 

And  this  was  a  man  fully  developed  in  mind,  body  and 
soul.  He  had  experienced  enough  to  know  what  life 
holds.  For  him  there  were  no  fantastic  youthful  hopes 

161 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

telling  him  that  there  would  be  other  loves,  that  he  should 
let  this  one  go.  He  felt  that  in  this  girl  he  had  seen  the 
"  last  woman,"  and  there  was  nothing  else  for  which  he 
wanted  to  strive.  Does  God  or  man  expect  mankind 
to  forswear  the  heaven  of  happiness  thus  given  ? 

Fred  continued  to  come  to  the  summer-house,  but  it 
was  not  until  a  dark  night  after  two  full  weeks  of  thwarted 
expectation,  when  he  entered  the  bower  to  sit  out  his 
hour  of  holy  meditation  in  that  spot  where  her  calm  pres- 
ence had  soothed  him,  that  something  like  an  apparition 
floated  before  him.  He  arose  and  stretched  out  his  arms 
to  see  if  it  were  real,  and  they  closed  upon  the  dear  form 
of  her  he  sought.  She  was  drawn  to  him  and  kissed  many 
times,  hurriedly,  before  either  could  speak.  This  was  the 
first  time  Myrnie  had  ever  kissed  thus,  and  it  sent  a 
strange  thrill  through  her.  "  This  must  be  love,  surely," 
she  thought. 

"  Myrnie,  Myrnie,"  he  whispered,  "  did  you  come 
to  me  at  last?" 

"  Oh,  you  must  not.  Let  me  go."  And  she  tore 
herself  away. 

"  But  we  love  each  other,  Myrnie.  Think  what  that 
means.  This  is  something  more  than  a  matter  of  right 
and  wrong.  This  is  a  matter  of  life  and  death  to 
me.  Laws  were  made  for  others,  for  those  who  cannot 
feel,  not  for  such  as  we.  We  are  left  to  make  our  own 
laws  in  these  matters,  for  none  can  understand  our 
needs  but  ourselves.  We  must  make  our  own  laws." 

"  But  you  belong  to  another  woman  and  the  little 
boy-,"  ' 

"  I  love  you  better  than  all  that.     I  belong  to  you." 

"  Stop.  I  shall  hate  you  if  you  say  that  you  love 
162 


In  the  Land  of  Hxtremes. 

me  better  than  you  do  your. own  little  boy."  She  was 
thinking  of  her  own  orphaned  childhood. 

"  But  listen  to  me,  Myrnie — "  he  commenced,  but 
she  again  interrupted  him. 

"  No,  you  listen  to  me.  She  is  saying  that — ,"  he 
would  not  let  her  finish. 

"  I  know  all  that  she  says.  She  rings  it  into  my 
ears.  She  tries  to  win  my  love  now  that  she  fears 
another.  But  love  that  is  born  of  jealousy  is  not  worthy 
of  that  sacred  name.  I  hoped  for  her,  for  all  of  us, 
that  I  might  be  able  to  endure  life  with  her.  I  forced 
myself  to  try, — yes,  I  drifted  back,  back, — and  I  loathe 
myself  for  it.  I  have  struggled  hard,  I  have  fought 
myself,  oh,  nobody  knows  how  hard,  but  there  is  no  use. 
I  failed  utterly." 

"Does  she  know,  then?" 

"I  think  she. does,"  he  replied. 

"  Oh,  what  shall  we  do  ?  But  you  must  remain  true 
to  her  if  she  loves  you." 

"  How  can  I  pretend  to  be  true  when  I  am  not  true  in 
mind,  body  or  soul?  What  can  be  gained  by  that? 
You  do  not  know  the  measures  I  have  taken  that  I  may 
care  a  little  for  her  again.  I  have  even  forced  myself 
back  into  the  old  conjugal  relations  with  her,  thinking 
that  some  little  spark  of  physical  attraction  may  spring 
into  life  that  might  hold  me  to  her,  but  there  is  no  use. 
You  are  here.  This  has  even  made  the  gulf  between 
us  yawn  wider  to  me.  There  is  no  going  against  the  fate 
which  draws  you  and  me  together." 

The  girl  had  drawn  away  from  him  in  horror.  She 
crept  close  to  the  wall  to  be  as  far  from  him  as  possible, 
and  there  she  cowered. 

163 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  But  you  must  win.  You  will.  You  must  not  come 
here.  Fred,  you  have  drifted  back.  I  shall  not  see 
you  again." 

"  But  listen,  Myrnie,  I  know  a  plan/'  he  said,  breath- 
lessly. 

"  What  is  your  plan  ? "  she  asked,  gaining  posses- 
sion of  her  faculties. 

He  took  her  hand  and  drew  her  down  beside  him. 
"  I  have  been  quite  successful  in  a  financial  way  re- 
cently," he  began.  "  My  commission  from  the  sales 
of  different  properties  has  reached  over  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  I  have  properties  and  interests  which  when 
developed  will  bring  many  times  more.  She  is  a  well 
woman  now,  so  there  could  be  no  shame  in  it.  I  will 
settle  on  her  half  I  have  in  money  and  some  permanent 
income,  and  get  a  divorce." 

"  Enough ! "  and  she  covered  his  mouth  with  a  trem- 
bling hand,  as  though  to  blot  out  the  meaning  of  his 
excited  words. 

"  No,  no,  no,  she  loves  you." 

He  drew  her  hand  away  and  held  it  firmly.  "  I  shall 
do  it  in  spite  of  all  you  can  do,  and  when  I  come  to 
you  free —  ?  " 

"  I  should  not  speak  to  you,  should  not  look  at  you. 
You  have  drifted  back;  that  is  the  end  of  everything. 
Promise  me  that  you  will  go  on  in  the  same  way  with 
her.  You  must." 

"  I  cannot.  It  is  unbearable.  I  tell  you  I  will  settle 
with  her;  she  is  well  now." 

"  My  school  closes  in  a  short  time  and  I  shall  go  far 
away  from  here.  You  will  not  know  where  I  am.  You 
can  then  forget  me." 


In  the  Land  of  Hxtremes. 

"  But  you  love  me,  Myrnie.  You  must  tell  me  that. 
Perhaps  I  could  make  the  sacrifice  if  I  only  knew  that 
you  love  me.  You  love  me,  Myrnie  ?  " 

"  I  don't  just  know.  Sometimes  I  think  that  per- 
haps I  do.  Then  there  are  times  when  I  can  imagine 
a  greater  love,  and  I  long  for  that.  I  often  want  you 
with  me,  but  she  is  your  wife,  and  you  have  a  child  whom 
you  both  love.  Think  of  the  child  in  the  years  to  come, 
when  he  grows  up.  He  will  want  to  think  kindly  of  his 
father,  and  what  if  he  can't?" 

Fred  covered  his  face  with  his  hands.  "  Yes,  I  must 
try.  I  must  be  strong.  But  tell  me  as  nearly  as  you  can, 
Myrnie,  how  you  feel  toward  me,  and  I  shall  know 
if  you  love  me.  It  will  be  easier  if  I  know  that  you 
love  me." 

"  Well,  it  seems  awfully  nice  to  have  some  one  think 
so  much  of  me  and  call  me  such  nice  names,  and  when 
I  think  I  am  necessary  to  your  happiness,  that  makes 
me  want  to  be  with  you  and  make  you  happy.  But  I 
do  not  like  you  to  touch  me — I  do  not  want  you  to  love 
my  body  so  much." 

Her  answer  did  not  satisfy  the  man.  This  was  not 
like  what  he  had  hoped  to  hear,  still,  he  thought  the  girl 
did  not  know  how  to  express  herself  in  these  matters. 
If  he  had  told  her  how  he  felt  toward  her,  it  would  have 
been  quite  different  from  this,  might  almost  have  fright- 
ened her.  But  after  a  few  minutes  of  sober  thinking  he 
said,  "  I  am  sure  that  is  the  way  women  love.  That  is 
the  highest  form  of  woman's  love;  all  unselfish  and 
pure  as  snow.  So  now,  Myrnie,  my  little  Myrnie,  I 
know  you  love  me  too." 

"  Oh,  do  I?  How  delightful  and  fine."  She  clasped 
165 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

her  hands  over  her  breast  and  beamed  upon  him,  so  glad 
to  be  made  aware  of  the  fact  that  she  loved  him.  She 
had  wanted  to  love  some  one  for  so  long,  and  now  it 
had  come. 

"  But  you  must  stay  with  your  wife,  you  know,  and 
be  true  to  her;  since  you  are  certain  that  I  love  you  it 
will  be  so  easy."  She  bent  her  head  prettily  to  one 
side  like  a  bird,  and  she  almost  whispered  the  word 
"  love."  It  was  still  a  sacred  word  on  her  lips. 

As  Fred  walked  home  that  night,  he  was  more  at  sea 
than  ever.  He  found  it  impossible  to  comprehend  his 
own  thoughts  and  feelings.  "  I  will  not  go  back,"  he 
said,  "  I  will  not  go  back,  will  not." 


166 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Two  weeks  passed  and  Fred  had  desisted  from  going 
to  the  cottage  on  the  Yuma  Road.  He  felt  that  he  had 
been  dismissed  once  for  all.  He  was  courting  resigna- 
tion, trying  to  accept  his  fate  and  put  all  hope  from 
him ;  but  hope,  like  the  bright  star  that  it  is,  would  shine 
in  its  full  glow  of  radiance  in  this  dark  night  of  his 
life  at  moments  when  he  was  off  his  guard.  He  found 
it  impossible  to  love  his  wife.  He  commenced  to  be  less 
demonstrative  to  her  since  he  was  convinced  that  the 
fondling  could  not  bring  him  nearer  to  her.  Now  that 
his  lot  seemed  cast  inevitably  with  hers,  he  purposed 
only  to  fulfill  his  duty  to  her.  His  own  life  seemed  use- 
less, worthless,  a  waste,  and  he  was  devoid  of  any  inter- 
est. Duty  dragged  without  impetus  and  his  only  refuge 
lay  in  bodily  activity.  If  he  allowed  idleness  to  creep 
upon  him  for  an  instant,  his  restlessness  was  unbear- 
able. He  hoped  that  perhaps  after  awhile  his  wild  de- 
sires would  be  somewhat  assuaged  and  that  he  should 
be  able  to  live  this  life  of  self-abnegation  with  some  de- 
gree of  tolerance.  The  creature  comforts  come  to  a  man's 
aid  in  such  a  crisis. 

Myrnie,  on  the  other  hand,  to  her  own  surprise,  began 
to  wish,  since  she  discovered  that  he  no  longer  visited 
the  summer-house,  that  Fred  could  not  hold  out  against 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

himself.  It  was  she  who  now  made  the  nocturnal  visits 
to  the  secret  trysting  place,  and  when  night  after  night 
she  waited  and  he  did  not  come,  her  heart  grew  restless 
from  a  feeling  of  loss  which  soon  waxed  into  a  tense 
longing,  a  yearning  difficult  to  comprehend,  because  it 
was  not  real  love. 

Every  girl  before  she  has  loved  watches  eagerly  for 
the  advent  of  that  grand  passion  into  her  life.  She 
thinks  it  will  burst  abruptly  upon  her  like  a  grain  of 
popcorn  exposed  to  the  heat.  So  eager  is  she  for  it  that 
sometimes  she  thinks  love  has  come  when  it  has  not,  but 
never  can  she  mistake  its  actual  presence.  What  Myr- 
nie  felt  for  Fred  was  not  love.  Perhaps  she  liked 
being  adored  by  him.  True,  this  was  the  nearest  to  love 
that  she  had  ever  felt,  and  its  taste  was  sweet  on  her  lips. 
His  great  and  powerful  passion  fascinated  her.  Her 
inexperience  exulted  in  his  experience,  as  her  innocence 
attracted  him.  But  love  it  was  not. 

"  I  really  want  him  to  stay  with  his  wife,  for  that  is 
right,"  she  told  herself.  "  I  only  want  him  to  come 
here  and  tell  me  how  he  is  progressing."  Thus  she 
cheated  herself  into  this  delusion  until  one  evening,  in 
a  fit  of  sentimental  impulse,  she  wrote  him  a  note.  No 
sooner  was  the  missive  out  of  her  hand,  than  she  would 
have  given  worlds  to  recall  it,  but  the  United  States 
mail  service,  like  Time,  is  stern  and  relentless. 

Fred  received  the  note  late  in  the  evening.  He  walked 
about  the  garden  in  wild  joy.  The  dull  earth  had  bloomed 
again.  Its  wealth  of  color  and  fragrance  was  all  about 
him.  It  was  hard  to  wait  for  the  city  clock  to  chime 
nine,  when  he  knew  that  Amy  would  be  asleep.  As 
soon  as  he  was  sure  of  this,  he  hurried  away  breathlessly, 

168 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him.  The  note  had  only 
said  that  the  writer  would  be  at  the  usual  place  at  the 
usual  hour,  but  that  was  enough  for  Fred. 

The  impatient  man  found  the  girl  sitting  restfully  in 
the  old  place.  How  her  calmness  and  quiet  bearing  con- 
trasted with  his  ill  concealed  impetuosity.  He  wanted 
to  embrace  her  ardently,  but  she  would  have  none  of  it. 

"  Sit  down,"  she  commanded,  and  he  obeyed  like  a 
child. 

"  You  are  so  good  to  have  sent  for  me.  I  wanted 
to  come  so  badly  so  many  times,"  he  burst  out.  "  You  do 
not  know  how  I  have  suffered." 

"  Hush,  I  only  asked  you  to  come  here  to  tell  me  how 
you  are  progressing,"  she  replied. 

"I  have  not  succeeded  at  all.  It  grows  harder  and 
more  insupportable  every  day.  I  have  come  to  tell  you 
that  such  a  life  is  impossible  for  me.  If  I  go  on  trying  to 
live  this  kind  of  life,  it  will  make  a  criminal  of  me..  If  I 
wish  to  be  true  to  anyone,  I  must  be  true  to  myself  first 
of  all,  must  be  true  to  my  purest  instincts.  I  love  you, 
Myrnie,  always  shall  love  you.  I  will  follow  you  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth.  You  love  me,  too,  and  want  me,  or  you 
would  not  have  written  this  letter." 

"  No,  no,  I  only — ,"  she  tried  to  speak. 

"  You  need  make  no  explanations.  I  could  not  be 
mistaken  in  you,  Myrnie."  His  voice  was  very  tender 
and  made  her  wish  so  much  that  she  could  tell  him  that 
she  knew  quite,  quite  well  that  she  loved  him. 

"How  can  you  expect  me  to  entertain  any  feeling  for 
you  now  that  you  have  gone  back  to  the  old  way  with 
your  wife?  I  might  have  consented  before,  but  now  I 
never —  "  again  he  took  her  words  from  her. 

169 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  But  listen,  child,  can't  you  understand  that  that  means 
nothing  to  me.  It  seemed  gross,  every  atom  of  my  body 
rebelled,  but  I  tried  for  the  best.  I  did  not  deceive  you 
in  this  as  I  well  might  have  done,  but  told  you  all.  Oh, 
little  Myrnie,"  he  bent  very  near  her,  "  can't  you  see  that 
it  all  had  to  be  that  way  ?  I  had  to  test  myself  to  see  if 
any  of  the  old  imagined  affection  was  still  alive.  Then 
such  things  are  so  different  with  a  man." 

The  girl  knew  so  little  of  the  things  of  which  he  spoke 
that  she  did  not  comprehend  what  he  was  trying  to  tell 
her.  All  she  felt  was  that  they  were  having  a  wonderfully 
deep  conversation,  and  she  enjoyed  the  idea  immensely. 
She  still  sat  thinking  without  a  word,  and  he  went  on, 

"  Tell  me,  Myrnie,  that  I  may  hope  to  have  you  for 
my  own  when  all  is  settled." 

"  But  you  will  tell  her  to-morrow  that  you  do  not  love 
her,  and  stop  this  pretended  love-making?  I  cannot 
and  shall  not  have  it  going  on  if  it  is  not  sincere.  When 
I  think  of  your  having  done  it  I  almost  hate  you."  She 
was  speaking  wildly.  Fred  was  a  little  surprised  and 
alarmed  at  her  trembling,  heated  tone.  He  had  never 
seen  her  disturbed  like  this.  Still,  even  this  held  a  ray 
of  hope;  it  spoke  of  jealousy,  and  where  there  is  jealousy 
there  is  sometimes  love. 

"  You  must  give  me  time.  It  may  not  be  best  to  tell 
her  just  yet.  Let  me  have  time  to  drift  back  into  cold- 
ness with  her.  Try  to  realize  that  the  pretended  love- 
making  means  nothing  to  me." 

"  Time  to  drift  back !  No !"  and  the  girl  grew  vehe- 
ment again.  What  Fred  took  for  her  woman's  jealousy 
was  only  her  sense  of  honesty.  "  It  means  something  to 
her  if  it  does  not  to  you,  and  she  deserves  some  consider- 

170 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ation."  She  was  looking  straight  at  him.  "  There  will 
be  no  sigh  of  love  from  you  to  her  from  this  time  on. 
You  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  her  hereafter.  She 
must  understand  at  once  that  you  do  not  love  her.  I 
demand  absolute  honesty  in  this  terrible  affair."  (Men 
will  observe  that  Fred  was  starting  wrong  with  this 
woman.  Women,  take  notice.) 

The  man  dropped  his  head  in  his  hands  in  dire  dejec- 
tion, and  said,  "  Think  how  hard  you  make  it  for  me, 
Myrnie.  It  would  be  better — " 

"  You  find  it  so  hard  to  give  her  up  when  the  time 
comes?  Well,  you  must  make  your  choice  now,  Mr. 
Harmon."  Her  voice  was  almost  dramatic.  He  put  one 
hand  out  and  it  fell  on  her  knee,  his  face  being  still  bur- 
ied in  the  other.  He  was  like  one  pleading  for  mercy, 
for  he  was  thinking  how  Amy  would  take  it,  was  trying 
to  picture  the  scene.  He  had  a  kind  pity  for  her  and  dis- 
liked to  give  her  pain. 

The  girl  drew  away  from  him,  breaking  the  contact 
between  their  bodies.  At  this  indication  of  aversion  to 
his  touch,  he  exclaimed,  "'Myrnie,  of  course,  I  will  tell 
her  at  once.  Thank  Heaven,  you  have  given  me  hope 
at  last."  And  he  wanted  to  take  her  in  his  arms,  but 
she  said,  "  No,  wait  till  she  knows." 

The  next  morning  when  Amy  wished  to  kiss  Fred,  he 
brushed  past  her  and  left  the  house.  At  lunch  time  he 
avoided  her.  A  difficult  and  unpleasant  task  lay  before 
him,  and  oh,  how  he  dreaded  it,  but  there  was  no  draw- 
ing back  now.  He  had  set  his  hand  to  the  plow  and  must 
not  turn  back.  Where  his  sentiments  are  concerned  as 
under  these  circumstances,  nearly  every  man  is  purely 
selfish.  He  makes  his  arguments  fit  his  own  case  and 

171 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes 

feels  that  he  is  justified.  When  evening  came,  Fred 
weeded  all  weakness  and  hardness  from  his  heart  and 
sat  in  the  study,  cool  and  decided. 

"  Fred,  what  is  the  matter  ?  You  seem  so  strange  to- 
day." Amy's  words  came  so  innocently  from  her  lips. 
There  was  a  sorrowful,  timid  look  in  her  eyes  as  she 
came  into  his  presence.  She  stood  in  the  center  of  the 
room. 

He  laid  down  his  paper,  looked  at  her  steadily  for  a 
moment,  then  placed  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  searching  his  mind  for  words  to  begin. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  want  me  near  you  to-day.  Don't 
you  love  me  any  more,  Fred?  There  are  times  when  it 
seems  to  me  that  you  can  hardly  endure  me." 

He  sat  up  straight,  took  his  hands  from  his  pockets, 
and  placing  them  on  his  knees,  began  measuring  his 
words  and  looking  before  him ; 

"  I  may  as  well  be  truthful  with  you,  Amy ;  my  love 
for  you,  real  love  such  as  a  man  should  have  for  his 
wife,  died  years  ago.  Look  back  over  our  past  and  see 
if  you  ever  did  anything  to  nurture  that  love." 

The  woman  grew  pale  and  horrified  as  the  full  mean- 
ing of  his  words  came  to  her.  Still,  she  looked  as 
though  she  had  expected  such  an  answer. 

"  But  Fred,  I  love  you  now.  I  am  well  and  want  you 
to  love  me.  Am  I  not  kind  and  affectionate  now  ? " 
Her  voice  was  an  entreating  wail. 

"  Too  late,  Amy.  If  you  had  been  like  this  years 
ago,  it  might  have  been  different.  But  it  is  too  late  to- 
day. I  wish  I  could  love  you  now,  Amy,  but  love  does 
not  come  and  go  as  the  will  commands,  you  know.  In 
the  last  few  weeks  I  have  tried  to  love  you  for  your 

172 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

sake,  and  you  see  how  I  have  failed.  I  do  not  wish  to 
hurt  you,  Amy.  I  shrink  from  giving  you  pain,  but 
I  must  be  truthful  with  you  when  you  come  to  me  and 
ask  for  the  truth.  I  am  tired  of  this  kind  of  life  and 
wish  to  make  a  change.  I  shall  provide  for  you  always 
and  will  leave  Wallace  with  you,  but  I  want  a  divorce. 
Can  you  consent  to  that?" 

Poor  Amy  dropped  on  her  knees,  covering  her  face 
with  her  folded  arms  at  the  word  "  divorce,"  as  though 
it  had  been  a  blow  that  felled  and  stunned  her.  Finally 
she  arose  and  groped  about  the  room  with  wide  eyes  and 
reaching  arms,  like  one  whose  mind  wandered ;  then  she 
fell  prostrate  and  broke  into  wild  sobbing. 

A  realization  of  the  awful  thing  he  was  doing  smote 
the  man  as  he  walked  to  her  and  picked  her  up.  He 
told  himself  that  he  could  not  go  on  with  this,  and  tried 
to  soothe  her,  "  Amy,  Amy,  think,  be  calm.  Don't,  don't !" 
Thus  in  his  arms  she  seemed  dear  to  him.  She  had  been 
his  care  for  so  many  years,  and  this  care  had  so  grown 
a  part  of  his  life  that  he  now  felt  he  could  not  part 
with  it.  "  No,  a  man  must  do  his  duty,"  he  was  think- 
ing, "must  be  a  man  first,  and  let  his  heart  take  care  of 
itself.  I  shall  have  to  give  the  little  girl  up,  dear  little 
thing.  I  can't  desert  my  wife  and  break  up  this  home; 
too  many  tendrils  from  my  heart  have  taken  root  around 
it,  and  I  must  accept  this  fate." 

Amy  drew  away  from  him  and  seated  herself  in  a 
chair.  All  the  spirit  had  gone  out  of  her,  but  she 
struggled  to  be  calm. 

"  Give  me  time  to  think,  Fred,  time  to  think.  I  will 
tell  you  when  I  have  thought." 

173 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

As  soon  as  she  was  composed,  however,  a  great  part 
of  his  selfish  love  came  back  to  him. 

"  You  can  see  me  in  the  morning."  He  arose,  took 
his  hat  and  left  the  house.  He  did  not  come  home  till 
late  that  night.  He  had  been  about  town. 

Amy  sat  up  till  midnight  waiting  for  him,  but  he  did 
not  come  in  until  an  hour  after  she  had  retired.  She 
arose  and  went  to  him.  A  smell  of  liquor  filled  the 
room,  but  he  was  not  intoxicated. 

"  Did  you  mean  what  you  said  this  evening  about, 
about — about  divorce,  Fred  ?  "  she  asked  as  though  it 
had  all  been  a  dream.  She  stood  in  the  doorway  in  her 
white  robe,  all  the  color  and  strength  and  vigor  of  the 
past  months'  gathering  gone  from  her. 

"  Yes,  Amy ;  let  us  say  as  little  as  possible  about  it." 
Men  wish  to  avoid  discussing  unpleasant  subjects,  es- 
pecially when  they  are  culpable,  but  women  always  per- 
sist in  going  into  details. 

"  This  home  shall  always  be  yours.  You  and  Wallace 
shall  have  ample  means.  I  shall  come  back  to  see  Wal- 
lace occasionally  Now  go  back  to  bed,  Amy,  it  is  cold. 
I  must  sleep  for  I  have  a  long  trip  into  the  mountains 
for  to-morrow. " 

This  promise  to  come  back  occasionally  beamed  like 
a  bright  light  in  the  future  to  the  woman  who  had  no 
other  hope.  She  could  live  then,  since  she  should  see 
him.  And  who  knows  but  he  would  grow  tired  of  his 
freedom,  and  come  back  and  wed  her  over  again!  She 
had  heard  of  such  things,  had  known  of  instances  when 
it  had  occurred.  How  fine  that  would  be !  She  went  to 
bed,  her  heart  beating  high  with  hope.  To  win  him 
back,  that  was  the  task  she  should  set  herself. 

174 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE  next  morning  broke  clear  and  warm  as  May 
mornings  do  in  Arizona.  Fred  awoke  at  six  o'clock  to 
find  his  wife  standing  over  him.  He  had  the  feeling  that 
she  had  been  watching  him  in  his  sleep  previous  to  his 
waking.  There  were  tears  on  her  cheeks. 

"  Your  breakfast  is  waiting,  Fred,"  and  she  hurried 
away.  When  he  came  into  the  dining  room  and  took 
his  seat  at  the  table,  she  sat  quietly  by  and  waited  upon 
him  and  Wallace,  who  would  rise  as  early  as  the  rest 
of  the  household.  She  waited  upon  them  as  they  ate, 
but  not  a  mouthful  did  she  taste  herself.  The  meal 
had  been  prepared  by  her  own  hands  and  could  not  have 
been  more  delicious.  The  conversation  carried  on  be- 
tween them  was  pleasant  and  ordinary,  such  as  might 
have  taken  place  during  any  morning  of  their  past  mar- 
ried years.  Wallace  was  especially  gay  and  talkative, 
which  helped  the  parents  to  feel  at  ease. 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  Fred  bade  good-bye  to 
his  family  in  his  usual  way  before  going  upon  a  journey. 

"  I  consent  to  the  divorce,"  Amy  said  before  he  de- 
parted. 

He  wanted  to  tell  her  that  he  had  decided  not  to 
make  any  change  in  their  lives,  but  he  was  not  quite 
sure  yet,  and  wished  to  give  himself  more  time  to  think 

175 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  see  how  he  would  feel  about  it  since  she  was  pre- 
pared to  meet  it.  That  day,  however,  as  he  rode  over 
the  winding  trail  up  the  mountain,  the  dim  images  of 
love's  young  dream  came  dancing  back  to  him,  and  when 
he  mounted  to  the  summit  and  beheld  the  dim  and 
dreamy  stretches  of  country  far  beyond,  Myrnie  again 
had  him  in  her  power,  and  he*  was  like  a  feather  in  the 
wind. 

"  Oh,  my  God,  how  I  love  her ! "  he  exclaimed  aloud, 
the  figure  of  the  girl  with  all  its  graceful  motions  came 
before  his  mind's  eye. 

"  But  why  does  she  not  want  me  to  go  on  like  this, 
keeping  my  home  as  it  is,  but  having  her  for  my  dream 
angel  ?  "  he  mused.  "  My  love  for  her  is  as  pure  as  the 
driven  snow.  I  do  not  want  her  sacred  body;  that  is, 
not  now.  I  could  live  like  this  for  awhile.  It  would  be 
best  so  until  Providence  sends  its  own  way.  I  do  not 
want  to  put  my  fingers  into  the  directing  of  my  fate. 
'  That  pretended  love-making  must  be  stopped !' "  he 
broke  out  laughing  so  loudly  at  the  recollection  of  Myr- 
nie's  vehement  words,  that  his  horse  started  and  looked 
around  at  him.  "  The  little  chicken  is  jealous  and  wants 
me  all  to  herself.  Well,  this  is  fate,  this  is  fate.  I  have 
won  her  and  she  is  mine." 

A  week  later  found  Fred  in  Prescott.  All  was  at  last 
understood  between  him  and  his  wife ;  they  had  had  their 
talk  and  settlement.  He  flattered  himself  that  she  had 
borne  it  so  well,  and  he  was  beginning  to  breathe  the  air 
of  freedom,  firmly  believing  that  future  circumstances 
would  prove  that  he  had  acted  for  the  best.  "She  will  be 
so  much  happier  without  me  as  soon  as  she  becomes  ac- 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

customed  to  the  change/'  he  told  himself  over  and  over 
again,  in  his  eager  effort  to  believe  it. 

'Myrnie  was  in  Prescott  also,  where  she  had  gone  to 
spend  the  summer,  the  place  being  so  much  cooler  than 
Phoenix.  She  and  Fred  had  resolved  to  see  little  of 
each  other  before  the  divorce  was  secured,  but  as  may 
be  readily  imagined,  they  did  not  adhere  strictly  to  this 
resolution. 

One  morning  about  a  week  after  Fred  had  arrived  in 
Prescott,  the  merry  strain  of  whistled  song  that  poured 
from  his  happy  lips  was  abruptly  checked  as  the  door 
of  his  room  was  suddenly  opened  and  a  man  stood  in 
the  doorway  unannounced. 

"  Why — good  morning,  Dr.  Morris,"  Fred  broke  out, 
striding  toward  him  in  surprise.  The  physician  eagerly 
grasped  the  hand  that  was  extended  toward  him. 

"  Good  morning,  Fred,  good  morning,  good  morning," 
he  replied  in  his  fatherly  way.  He  looked  steadily  into 
the  frank  eyes  turned  to  his,  but  failed  to  read  what  he 
sought. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Doctor,"  Fred  said,  thinking  this 
was  only  one  of  the  many  visits  the  doctor  paid  Pres- 
cott, for  he  had  as  large  a  practice  in  this  as  he  had 
in  his  home  city.  "  How  is  every  one  in  Phoenix  ?  " 

"  Not  so  well,  not  so  well,  Harmon.  Fact  is  I  came 
to  see  you  especially;  came  to  see  you  on  a  serious  and 
very  urgent  matter,  I  may  say." 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  he  asked  in  a  tone  of 
alarm. 

"Well,  it  is  this.  Mrs.  Harmon  has  told  me  all." 
The  visitor  was  standing  with  his  feet  apart,  his  hands 
in  his  pockets,  looking  grave,  as  becomes  a  doctor.  "  I 

177 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

am  her  physician  and  all  that  concerns  her  health,  you 
see,  concerns  me." 

A  light  was  beginning  to  break  upon  the  bewildered 
brain  of  Harmon.  He  grew  pale  and  unnerved,  expect- 
ing the  worst.  A  picture  of  what  was  to  come  formed 
itself  distinctly  in  his  mind  as  though  some  kind  of 
telepathy  warned  him. 

"  Phoenix  is  saying  that  you  have  deserted  your  wife 
for  that  pretty  young  school  mistress,  and  it  is  killing 
her.  She  is  a  very  sick  woman.  I  fear  she  will  die 
if  you  do  not  go  back  to  her.  The  blow  has  taken  from 
her  all  the  strength  of  the  past  few  months.  I  see  now, 
I  understand  how  it  is  that  her  life  hangs  on  your  hands. 
Her  renewed  interest  in  life  came  out  of  a  renewed  love 
for  you.  Love  is  wonderful,  yes,  a  wonderful  thing! 
What  a  shame,  poor  woman.  I  have  studied  her  case, 
and  I  know  her  so  well." 

The  doctor  paced  the  room,  in  deep  thought.  Fred 
leaned  against  a  chiffonier  and  listened  as  the  doctor 
went  on, 

"  The  poor  creature  struggled  bravely  with  herself. 
I  came  for  you  against  her  will,  but  she  suffers  ter- 
ribly and  is  in  worse  health  than  I  have  ever  seen  her." 
Here  the  doctor's  voice  rose  to  a  high  pitch,  and  he  was 
gesticulating  wildly.  "  Harmon,  if  I  could  have  laid 
hands  on  you  yesterday  when  I  stood  by  her  bed  and 
watched  her  suffer,  I  say,  if  I  could  have  had  you  then, 
I  should  have  killed  you!  And  to  think  of  the  way 
she  had  been  mending!  This  is  the  mistake  of  your 
life,  Fred,  and  if  you  do  not  retrace  your  step  you  will 
regret  it  all  your  days.  Your  child,  too,  comprehends 
something  of  the  situation,  and  the  little  fellow's  grief 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

is  bitter  to  behold.  I  speak  to  you  as  man  to  man,  as 
father  to  father.  I  am  sure  Mrs.  Harmon  will  build 
up,  once  you  manifest  some  interest  in  her.  Come  back 
with  me  this  evening." 

Fred  stepped  backward  as  though  to  catch  himself 
from  falling,  as  these  words  fell  like  a  rain  of  blows  on 
his  conscience.  He  leaned  heavily  on  the  piece  of  fur- 
niture aghast  and  almost  powerless.  He  saw  it  all  so 
plainly,  this  awful  situation, — his  loss  of  Myrnie  on  the 
one  hand,  forever;  on  the  other,  as  if  by  his  own  hand, 
the  death  of  his  wife,  if  he  pursued  the  course  he 
preferred.  He  stood,  unmanned  and  weak,  with  a 
sense  of  dishonor;  unmanned  at  the  thought  of  his  own 
and  Myrnie's  disappointment,  dishonored  by  Amy's  help- 
lessness and  his  son's  disrespect  of  him.  But  it  was  only 
for  a  minute  that  he  remained  thus. 

He  turned  abruptly  and  faced  the  physician,  towering 
above  the,  thin  stature  of  the  man.  There  was  no  sign 
of  weakness  nor  indecision  about  him  now. 

"  Listen  to  me,  Dr.  Morris,  I  have  behaved  only  as 
an  honest  man  could  behave.  I  have  simply  been  true 
to  myself  first  of  all,  true  to  my  own  soul,  to  my  own 
manhood.  Perhaps  you  think  it  does  not  require  cour- 
age to  be  true  to  one's  self  first  in  all  things.  I  am 
not  ashamed  of  the  fact  that  I  told  my  wife  the  truth 
when  she  asked  me  for  the  truth.  All  love  for  her  was 
dead.  I  told  her  that.  Would  it  have  been  better  to 
crucify  all  that  is  best  in  me,  all  the  noble  impulses 
that  are  inspired  by  a  great  love,  lifting  a  man  to  his 
highest  and  best,  or  to  speak  a  lie,  live  a  lie,  and  all  be- 
cause of  a  mistake  in  early  life?  My  wife  never  cared 
for  me  until  that  which  she  now  calls  love  was  kindled 

179 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

by  jealousy.  Do  you  call  that  love?  Is  love  born  of 
so  petty  an  impulse?  My  wife  wishes  to  hold  that 
which  was  never  hers.  Who  are  you  to  come  to  me  and 
dictate  the  course  of  honor  and  duty,  you  who  have  a 
wife  and  children,  yet  live  the  life  of  a — " 

"  Stop,  Harmon ;  listen  to  me  for  a  moment.  You 
are  thinking"  only  of  yourself.  Now  that  all  sounds 
awfully  pretty — almost  makes  even  me  believe  in  hon- 
esty. But  that  is  not  a  man's  theory  of  life.  Some 
over-moral  woman  has  put  that  into  your  head.  It  may 
do  for  young  people,  but  not  for  you.  Your  day  is  past. 
You  are  married,  so  just  put  it  all  out  of  your  head. 
Love — bosh!  My  way  is  the  best  way.  When  we  are 
married  and  are  fathers,  it  does  not  do  for  us  to  desert 
our  homes  for  some  witch  of  a  woman  who  comes  along 
and  snatches  us  off  our  feet.  Besides,  I  do  not  love  my 
wife  the  less  because  I  can't  resist  pretty  Anne, — you 
know  whom  I  mean.  The  feeling  I  have  for  Anne  I 
never  had  for  Mrs.  Morris,  and,  vice  versa,  so  I  am  not 
robbing  either  of  them.  My  love  for  my  wife  has  not 
diminished,  only  grown  a  bit  stale,  you  know,  as  all 
married  love  does  and  fails  to  inspire.  I  must  have  my 
wife  and  children,  but  I  can  have  the  pretty  Anne,  too, 
bless  her." 

"  Now  you  can  come  back  to  your  wife,  and  you  need 
not  give  up  the  little  school  mistress.  (I  have  seen 
her  and,  by  George!  if  I  blame  you.)  Anne  does  not 
mind  Mrs.  Morris  so  long  as  I  keep  her  purse  filled. 
Those  charming  women  are  mostly  like  that.  They  are 
such  clever  devils.  They  think  that  the  best  of  our  love 
belongs  to  them,  while  our  wives  think  that  the  best  of 
our  love  belongs  to  them.  Two  different  classes  of 

1 80 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

women,  you  see,  and  they  value  different  things.  Theor- 
ize all  you  may,  Harmon,  but  men  are  built  like  that. 
It  has  been  so  from  the  beginning  of  history,  and  that 
is  pretty  conclusive  proof  that  it  is  human  nature.  Look 
at  the  birds,  the  peaceful  beasts  of  the  fields, — they  are 
always  young.  Pshaw,  Harmon,  can't  you  see  ?  " 

Fred  had  listened  closely  to  this  speech,  following  it 
with  his  own  train  of  thoughts.  By  the  time  the  doctor 
had  concluded,  his  mind  was  already  firm  and  clear  as 
to  the  only  right  course  that  was  open  to  him,  and  he 
had  the  strength  to  follow  it.  God  never  puts  upon  us 
a  heavier  burden  than  we  can  bear.  With  a  noble  deter- 
mination, and  a  lofty  scorn  of  the  doctor's  complacent 
acceptance  of  what  "men  are  built  like"  he  turned  to 
him  and  replied: 

"  I  will  go  back  to  my  wife  and  live  an  honest  life  with 
her  to  the  end,  I  will  devote  my  life  to  her  care,  will  re- 
nounce that  which  is  dearer  to  me  than  life  itself.  But 
I  do  not  do  so  for  love  of  her,  though  I  do  love  my  child. 
I  have  only  a  kindly  sympathy  for  Amy,  and  I  go  back 
because  her  life  hangs  on  my  hands,  as  you  say,  but 
with  no  pretense  of  aught  but  human  mercy.  As  for 
your  plan  of  life,  I  can  not  follow  your  reasoning.  I 
can  not  take  the  path  you  lay  out  for  me.  Any  man 
who  has  ever  known  a  really  pure  love  could  not  be- 
mean  his  nature  in  that  way.  It  destroys  one's  power  to 
feel  the  sublimity  of  real  love,  one  day  of  which  is  worth 
all  the  cheap  sentimentality  you  could  ever  have  felt.  Go 
away,  go !  Leave  me  now.  I  will  be  at  the  depot  to 
meet  you  this  evening." 

Dr.  Morris  left  the  room,  not  in  the  least  disconcerted 
because  another  man's  doctrine  disagreed  with  his  hypo- 

181 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

thesis  of  life.  He  was  living  his  own  theory;  let  every 
man  do  likewise.  "  To  live  and  let  live,"  was  the  doc- 
tor's belief. 

Fred  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Myrnie.  He  could  not 
trust  himself  to  see  her.  He  explained  the  situation 
and  begged  forgiveness  for  having  forced  his  way  into 
her  life  only  to  bring  disgrace  upon  her.  "  You  are 
young,"  he  wrote,  "  forget  me.  I  know  you  can.  Since 
I  know  that  I  must,  I  wish  I,  too,  could  forget,  but 
you  know  how  impossible  that  is.  I  dare  not  ask  of 
you  any  hope  for  the  future,  even  should  I  ever  be 
free,  for  you  deserve  to  find  a  better  life  than  I  could 
give  you.  But  oh,  Myrnie,  little  Myrnie,  think  of  the 
years  before  me,  and  have  some  pity." 

As  Fred  and  the  physician  rode  back  to  Phoenix 
scarcely  a  word  passed  between  them.  Fred  took  a  seat 
apart  from  his  companion.  As  the  train  rumbled  along,  he 
sat  with  his  head  back  in  the  cushion  and  thought, 
thought.  His  little  wild-goose  chase  after  happiness 
was  at  an  end,  still  he  had  had  some  happiness,  an  eter- 
nity of  it.  Happiness  so  supreme  that  the  memory  of  it 
would  shine  out  like  a  bright  light  on  his  path  forever. 
That  memory  would  never  desert  him,  no  matter  what 
should  happen.  "  I  have  had  my  day  of  glory,  all  that 
God  decrees  wise  to  give  one  man  in  this  world,"  he  told 
himself,  "  I  will  now  go  back  to  Amy ;  she  deserves  hers. 
And  there  is  little  Wallace,  too." 

As  all  Arizona  travellers  know,  the  train  from  Pres- 
cott  backs  into  Phoenix  at  the  unholy  hour  of  one-thirty 
A.  M.  Pleasant  hour,  if  you  do  not  care  what  you  say. 
Did  you  ever  come  into  Phoenix  on  that  train  in  sum- 
mer and  after  going  to  your  hotel  try  to  sleep  on  the 

182 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

mosquito-bar  covered  cot  that  stood  on  the  balcony 
just  outside  your  door?  Stripped  yourself  threadbare 
and  lay  sweltering  unable  to  close  an  eye  till  an  hour 
before  sunrise?  Then  the  birds  sang  and  tried  to  keep 
you  awake,  but  it  is  the  only  hour  cool  enough  for  the 
birds  to  sing,  and  birds  must  sing.  Did  you  ever  come 
in  on  that  train?  I  have,  and  the  memory  of  it  will 
remain  with  me  to  my  grave.  One  has  a  peculiar  feel- 
ing when  he  sleeps  thus  for  the  first  time.  He  is  con- 
scious of  all  the  other  figures  outstretched  on  their  cots 
in  a  line  down  the  balcony — men,  women,  children. 
Perhaps  a  woman  is  on  each  side  of  you  only  six  feet 
away.  They  usually  wear  some  thin  garment.  (Good 
thing  it  is  dark,  still  morning  comes.)  I  have  seen  a 
fair  knee,  a  dainty  foot,  if  not  more,  protruding  from  the 
sheet,  as  the  unconscious  victim  snatches  her  little  hour 
of  slumber,  regardless  of  the  birds.  A  little  later  it  is 
astounding  to  see  ladies  in  kimonos  with  tousled  heads, 
sneaking  to  their  rooms,  or  gentlemen  in  pajamas  on  a 
keen  trot. 

This  goes  on  all  over  Phoenix  from  porches,  bal- 
conies, from  elevated  screen-rooms  of  from  lawns.  It 
is  Phoenix's  necessary  custom.  People  must  sleep.  Be- 
cause it  is  a  necessary  custom  of  that  land,  no  harm  ever 
comes  of  it.  Every  one  is  safe,  even  those  dear  sleep- 
ing beauties  six  feet  from  one. 

When  Fred  arrived  in  Phoenix,  he  declined  his  friend's 
offer  to  accompany  him  to  his  home.  He  walked  and 
carried  his  own  grip. 

When  he  entered  his  wife's  room,  he  heard  her  stam- 
mered exclamation,  "  Thank  God !  "  She  had  heard  the 

183 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

train  come  in  and  had  lain  eagerly  waiting,  hardly  dar- 
ing to  hope  that  he  would  come. 

She  smiled  wanly  as  he  walked  up  to  her  bed  and 
demanded,  "  How  are  you,  Amy  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  are  so  good,  Fred,  so  good  to  have  come. 
Sit  down  and  let  us  talk  it  all  over,"  she  wailed. 

"  There  is  no  need  to  talk  it  all  over.  I  have  come 
back  to  stay  with  you  and  care  for  you  always.  It  is 
all  right,  Amy." 

"  Fred,  do  you  love  me,  you  do,  don't  you,  Fred  ?  I 
love  you  so." 

"  That  is  all  right,  Amy.  Go  to  sleep  and  rest.  I 
will  sit  here  and  watch  you,  I  will  stay  with  you  always." 

So,  worn  and  weary  from  nights  of  sleepless  weeping, 
she  was  soon  slumbering  peacefully  and  heavily.  Fred 
took  comfort  in  seeing  her  sleep  so  easily.  He  went 
to  the  child's  bed  and  stood  gazing  down  at  him  with 
set  teeth  and  dry  eyes,  and  in  that  moment  his  father's 
heart  smote  him. 

He  seated  himself  by  a  window  and  spent  the  rest 
of  the  night  looking  at  the  thin  veil  of  moonlight  in 
which  the  night  was  wrapped.  His  life  seemed  all  a 
vague  dream  with  a  few  sweet  memories  dotted  here  and 
there.  But  he  knew  that  he  would  always  have  the  mem- 
ories to  smile  over.  Let  us  not  try  to  follow  the  sad- 
ness and  the  sweetness  of  his  thoughts.  His  imagin- 
ation carried  him  away  into  beautiful,  beautiful  places 
where  she  would  be  found  waiting  for  him.  But  the 
sound  of  heavy  breathing  and  the  sight  of  two  uncon- 
scious figures  lying  prone  before  him,  bound  him  fast 
to  his  reality  and  pointed  the  finger  of  duty  for  him. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


MYRNIE  answered  Fred's  letter.  It  was  written  while 
the  first  rage  of  insulted  anger  held  her,  and  was  rather 
relentless  in  an  artful  sarcasm.  She  did  not  pour  out 
upon  him  resentment  and  scorn,  upbraiding  him  for 
throwing  her  into  the  dust  of  groveling  shame,  but  she 
told  him  that  he  had  forced  himself  upon  her  from  the 
first,  that  she  could  see  it  plainly  now,  and  that  on  the 
whole  she  was  glad  that  it  had  happened  this  way,  and 
that  his  wife  could  not  live  without  him  because  other 
people  could  easily.  Said  that  his  conduct  has  shown 
the  unstability  of  his  nature,  but  added  that  he  had 
acted  wisely,  and  assured  him  that  she  should  have  no 
difficulty  in  putting  from  her  the  memory  of  him.  In 
her  own  secret  thoughts,  this  man  was  raised  much 
higher  in  her  estimation  for  the  part  of  honor  he  had 
been  able  to  play.  This  feeling  she  could  not  get 
away  from.  Afterwards  she  wished  she  had  not  written 
him  such  a  hasty  letter,  and  spent  a  very  miserable 
week  or  two  over  the  affair.  Myrnie  had  changed.  En- 
vironment and  experience  were  slowly  but  surely  work- 
ing out  in  her  their  inevitable  law. 

All  this  was  Fred's  to  bear  and  he  bore  it  somehow. 
He  admired  the  girl  that  she  could  take  it  in  this  way, 
but  her  letter  left  its  sting.  His  love  for  her  had  grown 

185 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

stronger  if  such  were  possible,  and  he  forgave  her  every- 
thing and  went  on  loving  her. 

He  took  Amy  to  California  for  the  summer,  and  there 
in  the  cool  breath  that  the  great,  peaceful  ocean  sends 
landward,  he  nursed  her  back  to  health.  He  gave  her 
everything  in  him,  his  undivided  thought  and  attention, 
all  his  time  and  strength,  everything  but  his  love;  that 
was  not  his  to  give. 

She  grew  quite  strong  again,  and  they  all  felt  sure 
that  permanent  health  was  assured,  but  an  attack  of 
pneumonia  overtook  her  very  suddenly  in  the  early  part 
of  July.  She  coughed  and  grew  very  weak,  taking  to 
her  bed  the  first  day.  As  before  no  nurse  was  employed. 
She  preferred  that  her  husband  care  for  her,  and  this 
he  did  willing  and  tenderly.  "  Shall  I  arrange  your 
pillows  for  you,  Amy?  Let  me  rub  your  limbs  to  take 
the  chill  away,"  or  "  Here,  rest  your  head  on  my  arm, 
I  think  it  will  enable  you  to  breathe  more  easily."  These 
were  the  kindnesses  she  constantly  received  from  him, 
and  she  accepted  them  graciously,  looking  her  gratitude 
in  the  smile  she  gave  him.  But  a  night  came  when  all 
he  could  do  for  her  relieved  her  not.  The  doctor  came, 
did  what  he  could,  and  went  away. 

"  It  is  all  over,  Fred.  I  hear  my  call.  I  am  ready  to 
go.  You  have  been  a  good  husband  to  me,  Fred,  better 
than  I  deserved,  but  I  did  not  know  it  till  too  late.  For- 
give me  for  that,  Fred."  She  then  sank  into  slumber 
and  lay  with  half  closed  eyes,  and  a  faint  smile.  Pre- 
sently she  started,  sat  up  in  bed  and  clasped  her  hands, 
"Oh,  oh,  oh !  "  she  exclaimed,  and  her  expression  was 
one  of  pure  delight.  A  fit  of  coughing  took  her,  in  which 
her  words  came  in  gasps. 

"  Don't — call — any  one — Fred."  He  leaned  near  her, 
186 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

endeavoring  to  catch  her  words  as  she  went  on,  "  I 
want  to  die  alone  with  you,  Fred.  Do  not  call  any  one. 
You  will  marry  again,  and  I  want  you  to  do  so,  and  she 
will  be  the  pretty  little  teacher.  She  can  give  you  what 
I  never  did,  happiness  and  real  love.  I  never  forgot 
Tommy,  Fred."  Her  voice  grew  steady,  "  You  remem- 
ber Tommy  Mason.  I  was  engaged  to  Tommy  and  I 
loved  him.  I  shall  find  him  with  mother;  he  died,  you 
know — died  of  a  broken  heart  grieving  of  me.  Why  did 
you  not  let  me  marry  Tommy?  You  did  not  care  for 
me,  nor  did  I  care  for  you.  We  all  could  have  been  happy 
then.  But  oh,  you  were  so  masterful,  Oh,  you  bad  one ! " 
Here  she  giggled  like  a  girl  at  the  memory.  "  But  I 
love  you  at  last  after  all  these  years.  I  know  you  now, 
Fred ;  we  both  understand.  What  trouble  comes ;  and 
all  from  not  understanding.  There  is  no  hate,  no  dislike 
in  this  world;  there  is  just  misunderstanding."  Her 
voice  grew  calm  and  sane,  rising  and  falling  in  even, 
musical  cadences  like  one  who  was  very  happy.  "  No, 
everybody  loves  everybody,  only  they  do  not  know  it. 
Ah,  if  they  only  could  know  before  this  hour  comes. 
There  is  no  enmity,  there  is  only  a  lack  of  understand- 
ing, only  that.'" 

The  husband  sat  listening  mournfully  and  silently  to 
her  words,  realizing  with  distinct  clearness  the  truth  in 
them,  puzzled  again  at  this  woman.  He  was  beginning 
to  think  that  he  had  misunderstood  her  in  the  past  years. 
This  was  so  unlike  the  woman  he  had  thought  her  to  be. 

"  Bring  Wallace,"  she  gasped. 

Fred  hurried  away,  and  when  he  came  back  carrying 
the  half-wakened  child  in  his  arms,  she  was  sitting  up 
in  bed  smiling  and  looking  perfectly  well.  Her  cheeks 
were  flushed  and  her  eyes  shone.  She  held  out  her 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

arms  for  the  child,  who  was  beginning  to  cry,  seeming 
to  comprehend  the  situation. 

She  lay  down  again,  the  child  held  close  to  her  in  this 
last  hour  of  her  unnatural  strength.  Her  lips  were 
moving  still,  and  Fred  had  to  bend  his  ear  very  close 
to  her  mouth  to  hear  her  say,  "  Yes,  and  you  will  have  a 
dear  little  baby  girl.  Will  you  call  her  Amy,  and  let 
her  wear  the  little  gold  chain  of  mine  with  the  tiny  locket 
on  her  little  baby  neck  ?  Oh,  the  dear  little  baby  neck !  " 

Wallace  was  crying  on  his  dying  mother's  breast,  and 
Fred  was  crying  too. 

"  Sh-sh-sh,"  and  the  woman  raised  a  hand,  "  Do  not 
cry.  This  is  no  time  for  tears.  Pray.  Listen  to  that 
music.  Pray,  pray,"  and  she  commenced  repeating  the 
Lord's  Prayer.  Father  and  son  joined  her  in  half  whis- 
pers, but  she  closed  her  eyes  at,  "  As  we  forgive  our 
debtors,"  opened  them  wide  and  smiled,  closed  them 
again  and  sighed,  and  was  gone.  She  looked  like  one 
quietly  sleeping.  Fred  kissed  her  on  the  forehead. 

The  hush  that  fell  as  the  father  unlocked  the  child 
from  the  dead  mother's  firm  grasp  was  broken  by  the 
child's  wild  sobbing.  Fred  held  the  little  fellow  to  him 
and  wept  bitterly.  Poor  little,  motherless  boy,  his  father 
was  weeping  for  his  great  loss. 

The  house  was  awakened,  and  the  usual  formal  pro- 
ceedings, such  as  every  Christian  burial  demands,  were 
administered.  After  a  few  days,  the  funeral  over  and 
all  settled,  Wallace  was  left  with  his  grandmother,  while 
urgent  business  called  Fred  back  to  Phoenix,  where 
after  a  fortnight,  he  sent  Myrnie  full  particulars  of  his 
wife's  death,  recalling  such  of  her  last  words  as  he 
deemed  befitting.  But  he  received  no  reply  to  this,  as 
he  had  faintly  hoped  that  he  might. 

188 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

News  of  the  woman's  death  came  to  Myrnie  while 
she  was  stopping  at  a  little  summer  resort,  at  Mineral 
Springs,  a  few  miles  south  of  Prescott.  This  was  a  little 
cosmopolitan  resort.  People  came  from  all  over  the 
Territory  to  enjoy  the  cool  of  the  place  and  the  mineral 
water,  but  they  seldom  stayed  longer  than  a  week  or 
two.  One  made  few  acquaintances  at  this  place  that 
would  endure  beyond  the  season  of  the  outing,  and  here 
Myrnie  found  a  sweet  asylum  where  she  could  live 
quietly  after  her  disturbed  existence  of  the  past  year. 
She  did  not  want  to  know  people,  and  she  kept  to  her- 
self almost  entirely,  becoming  familiar  only  with  the 
children  of  the  place.  For  this  she  became  noted  in  the 
vicinity,  and  was  called  eccentric  as  she  played  with  the 
children  in  all  their  games.  She  soon  became  their  ring- 
leader, and  led  them  on  long  tramps  over  the  hills  in 
search  of  flowers,  odd  stones  or  deserted  birds'  nests. 
The  cottage  hotel  at  which  she  stopped  stood  a  mile 
down  the  creek  from  the  post  office  at  the  Springs,  but 
she  did  not  get  her  mail  at  this  office,  having  made  ar- 
rangements with  a  stage-driver,  whose  route  led  him  to 
Turkey  Creek,  to  have  her  mail  dropped  in  a  mail-box 
which  stood  by  the  road,  a  mile  away  over  the  rocky 
ridge  of  mountain,  and  for  this  also  she  was  looked  upon 
as  peculiar.  Men  glanced  searchingly  at  her,  but  she 
gave  them  a  look  that  cut  short  any  intention  they 
may  have  had  to  become  better  acquainted  with  her. 

She  had  so  ordered  her  mail  that  she  might  enjoy  the 
lonely  stroll  over  the  high  wall  of  mountain,  down  into 
the  somber  little  valley  on  the  other  side,  through  which 
she  could  see  the  stage  road  winding  like  a  dusty  strip  of 
ribbon. 

From  the  top  of  this  ridge  one  commanded  an  expan- 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

sive  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  here  Myrnie 
always  halted  for  a  little  rest.  Her  eyes  never  grew 
weary  of  wandering  over  the  earth's  uneven,  broken 
surface  in  its  seemingly  infinite  stretch.  The  high,  flat- 
topped  mesas  in  the  distance,  the  deep,  black  canons  that 
lay  between  and  the  desert  valleys  with  their  few 
stunted  trees. 

Often  she  stood  soliloquizing  on  the  loneliness  before 
her,  in  crude  poetic  lines  composed  extemporaneously. 
There  was  no  one  to  hear,  no  one  to  mock  the  uncouth 
lines,  and  she  was  so  full  of  intense  feeling,  which  she 
had  never  been  able  to  express ;  she  was  so  full  of  poetry, 
passion,  veneration  and  intensity,  full  to  the  running  over, 
but  she  had  never  found  a  satisfying  mode  of  expression, 
not  even  with  her  violin.  Her  vigorous  nature  was  cry- 
ing out  to  express  itself,  but  she  was  too  young  to  com- 
prehend all  this  then.  She  only  knew  that  she  liked  to 
talk  aloud  to  herself  when  no  one  could  hear. 

Myrnie  was  not  one  of  those  girls  who  have  a  host  of 
friends  or  correspondents.  She  lived  too  intensely  to 
have  a  large  number  of  people  in  her  life  at  the  same 
time,  and  it  was  only  occasionally  that  she  found  a  letter 
in  the  box  even  after  the  walk  over  the  hill  was  made. 

One  evening  in  August  she  felt  a  strong  call  to  visit 
the  mail-box.  This  was  one  of  those  summons  that  we 
are  pleased  to  name  presentiments,  and  she  answered  it 
eagerly,  never  stopping  on  the  hill  top  as  usual,  but  de- 
scended the  slope  hurriedly,  running  down  the  smooth 
places,  jumping  from  ledge  to  ledge  where  there  were 
rocks.  Life  and  youth  were  burning  strong  within  her. 

By  the  time  she  reached  the  mail-box  and  tip-toed  up 
to  unlock  it,  her  strength  was  a  little  spent  and  she 
was  trembling.  To  her  surprise  she  drew  out  a  thin 

190 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

envelope,  the  penmanship  on  which  she  recognized  at 
once.  Tearing  it  open  hurriedly,  she  drew  out  a  single 
sheet  of  paper  which  simply  stated  that  the  woman  was 
dead,  and  that  a  registered  letter  was  in  Prescott  con- 
taining newspaper  clippings,  along  with  a  full  account  of 
the  last  moments. 

After  reading  this  Myrnie  sank  down  upon  the  ground 
and  remained  for  half  an  hour  in  deep  thought. 

"  Can  it  be  possible  ?  can  it  really  be  ?  "  she  muttered. 
"  At  last,  at  last,"  and  it  seemed  to  her  that  there  was 
rest  in  the  knowledge  of  this  death,  though  why,  she 
could  not  say.  Thus  she  sat  looking  about  the  brown 
hills,  trying  to  realize  the  truth,  and  what  it  might  mean. 

"  No,  I  will  not.  Freedom  from  him  is  too  sweet. 
He  binds  me  so."  She  wondered  vaguely  how  Fred  felt, 
but  she  thought  in  her  secret  thoughts  that  he  must  be 
glad.  Then  she  wondered  if  death  was  the  end  of  every- 
thing; she  pondered  many  questions,  but  arose  suddenly 
and  tearing  the  letter  into  bits,  scooped  a  hollow  out  of 
the  soft  earth  with  the  toe  of  her  shoe,  dropped  the  torn 
bits  of  paper  into  it,  covered  them  with  her  foot,  rolled  a 
large  stone  over  the  grave,  pulled  up  a  few  dead,  dry 
weeds,  and  sticking  them  in  the  ground  around  the 
rock,  laughed  mockingly. 

The  echo  of  her  laugh  rolled  back  prolonged  from  the 
hills,  and  repeated  the  jeering  sound.  This  almost 
frightened  her.  It  seemed  that  some  devil  was  in  the 
hills  yelling  at  her,  or  maybe  it  was  the  ghost  of  the 
dead  woman.  Turning,  she  ascended  the  hill  with  long, 
rapid  strides,  growing  serious  as  she  gained  elevation. 
On  the  summit  she  paused  and  looked  backward;  there 
lay  the  familiar,  barren  hills,  so  restful,  so  full  of  peace. 
She  knew  that  they  had  been  her  friends,  had  given  her 

191 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

their  solid  consolation  and  comfort  at  times  when  her 
heart  had  been  heavy.  She  waved  her  hand  to  them  and 
broke  out,  "  Good-bye  hills,  good-bye  valley,  farewell 
mail-box,  I  shall  see  you  no  more.  Good-bye,  good-bye." 

She  walked  rapidly  home,  but  as  long  as  she  lives  she 
will  never  forget  the  sensations  and  thoughts  which 
came  to  her  on  that  last  walk  to  the  lonely  mail-box,  nor 
the  broader  vision  that  opened  to  her  as  she  sat  on  the 
bare  ground  looking  around  the  somber  little  valley,  nor 
the  sound  of  her  own  laugh  coming  back  to  her  from 
the  hills.  The  next  day  she  ordered  her  mail  left  at 
Prescott. 

In  the  days  that  followed  she  could  not  analyze  her 
feelings.  She  knew  that  there  was  great  pity  in  her 
heart  for  some  one,  and  after  a  time  it  came  to  her  that 
this  pity  was  for  a  little  boy  left  motherless.  Mother- 
less!  Ah,  did  she  not  know  the  meaning  of  that  word? 
Still,  there  was  something  akin  to  pity  for  another,  but 
try  as  she  would,  she  could  not  place  it.  This  bore 
heavily  down  upon  her,  and  once  in  the  night  it  came 
to  her  like  a  lost  spirit  in  a  mist,  and  she  awoke  in  a 
fright  to  lie  thinking  of  it,  and  shed  some  tears.  Some- 
where in  her  heart  there  was  a  hard,  cold  lump ;  it  rose 
up  bitterly  and  would  not  be  dissolved.  She  could  feel 
it  there  hurting  like  a  cake  of  ice.  A  grim  kind  of 
satisfaction,  joy  even,  that  the  woman  was  dead  came 
with  the  pain. 

"  He  will  never  desert  me  again  to  go  at  her  call.  He 
shall  never  have  the  opportunity  to  desert  me  again  for 
anyone." 


192 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


AFTER  a  month  Fred  came  to  Prescott.  His  first  er- 
rand subsequent  to  getting  settled  in  the  hotel  (of  course, 
the  Burk  Hotel;  it  is  the  one  place  where  gentlefolks 
stop  in  Prescott)  was  to  locate  Myrnie.  He  did  not 
know  what  he  hoped,  what  he  feared.  His  all-absorbing 
wish  was  to  find  her;  further  than  this  he  dared  not  let 
his  desires  stray  at  this  stage.  To  find  her,  however, 
was  not  a  difficult  task. 

Myrnie  had  come  to  town  only  a  week  before,  in  order 
to  purchase  necessaries  which  every  teacher  finds  in- 
dispensable with  the  opening  of  a  new  school  year.  Her 
duty  called  her  within  a  few  days. 

The  girl  greeted  Fred  with  cool,  dignified  surprise. 
She  offered  him  a  chair  in  her  parlor,  and  they  talked  on 
general  topics  easily,  but  if  he  drifted  into  personal  paths, 
she  artfully  led  away  from  them.  However,  Fred  Har- 
mon had  never  been  a  man  easily  driven  away  from  the 
things  he  chose  for  himself,  and  in  due  time  the  girl  was 
pressed  into  giving  him  her  plans. 

Thus  it  was  as  it  always  had  been  with  these  two 
people;  he  had  his  way  with  her.  He  had  a  subtle  way 
of  laying  his  man's  needs  before  her,  knowing  that  her 
woman's  heart,  true  to  the  mark,  loved  to  give  comfort 
to  the  male,  loved  to  please  him,  to  concede  to  him  if  her 
concessions  were  necessary  to  his  happiness. 

193 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  I  am  to  teach  far  out  in  the  country,"  she  informed 
him.  "  It  is  forty  miles  from  here,  and  fifteen  miles  from 
a  railroad,  and  is  one  of  the  few  spots  left  in  the  Terri- 
tory that  can  truly  be  called  Cattle  Land;  and  that  is 
why  I  wish  to  go  there.  It  is  a  district  rich  in  school 
funds,  and  pays  a  good  salary,  but  most  teachers  refuse 
the  place  because  it  is  so  far  out.  I  took  this  school  in 
preference  to  several  others  which  seemed  more  advan- 
tageous, because  I  am  looking  for  some  such  experience. 
I  want  a  complete  change  from  what  I  have  had." 

"  But,  Myrnie,  if  you  go  away  out  there  when  can  I 
ever  see  you.  Would  you  let  me  come  out  there  to  see 
you?" 

"  Oh,  you  would  not  see  me  at  all.  I  do  not  see  what 
difference  that  could  make." 

"  Myrnie,  you  know  that  kind  of  formal  talk  will  never 
do  with  you  and  me.  We  know  each  other  too  well ;  we 
have  been  too  close  for  formality  to  be  a  success." 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,  Mr.  Harmon ;  it  has  been  firmly 
decided  that  all  is  over  between  us.  You  decided  that 
when  you  left  Prescott  last  summer." 

"  But  listen,  Myrnie,  you  can  not  blame  me  because — " 

"  I  do  not  blame  you  at  all.  There  is  absolutely  no 
necessity  for  discussing  this  question  further."  She 
stamped  her  foot  and  shook  her  head  in  a  manner  that 
was  sure  to  make  him  all  the  more  persistent. 

"  I  wrote  explaining  how  it  all  came  about.  Surely, 
Myrnie,  you  realize  that  I  could  not  have  done  other- 
wise." He  still  pleaded. 

"  I  read  the  letter  and  I  realize  it  fully.  What  more 
can  you  ask?  You  would  have  been  a  brute  to  have 
deserted  the  woman." 

"Then  you  will  not  allow  me  to  explain  anything." 

194 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

He  was  almost  beside  himself  with  disappointment  and 
love  of  her.  What  woman  could  act  like  this  ? 

"  But  I  understand  everything  perfectly.  There  is 
nothing  left  for  you  to  explain."  He  noticed  the  tense 
drawn  look  this  conversation  had  brought  to  her  face 
and  he  took  it  for  indications  of  illness. 

"  You  look  almost  ill,  Myrnie.  Are  you  sure  that  you 
are  quite  well?"  he  asked  tenderly. 

"  Yes,  I  am  well,  thank  you.  The  summer  heat  has 
been  a  bit  trying  to  me.  I  shall  be  myself  again  in  a 
short  time,  now  that  it  is  cool.  A  complete  change  will 
do  me  worlds  of  good." 

"  And  you  will  not  forgive  me,  not  hear  one  word 
from  me  in  patience?  I  know  that  I  did  right.  Under 
the  circumstances  I  could  have  done  nothing  else.  Could 
I  have  let  the  woman  die,  knowing  that  my  act  had  dealt 
the  blow?  Could  I  have  had  the  woman's  life  on  my 
hands  ?  Then  you  might  well  have  loathed  me.  I  went 
back  and  performed  my  humane  duty  and  gave  up  all 
that  was  dear  to  me.  Now  I  have  nothing  with  which 
to  reproach  myself.  You  wished  me  to  gain  my  freedom 
for  your  sake  and  I  have  won  it  honorably.  Can  you 
hate  me  for  that?  Ah,  how  hard  it  was  when  I  loved 
you  all  the  time,  just  you,  Myrnie,  all  the  time." 

"  No,  it  was  like  this,"  she  said.  "  You  cared  for  me 
only  in  a  light  way,  only  when  the  ripples  on  the  stream 
of  life  were  quiet  and  undisturbed.  You  soon  found 
whom  you  really  loved  when  the  test  came.  I  do  not 
despise  you  for  this.  It  is  all  very  natural.  She  was 
the  wife  of  your  choice,  the  mother  of  your  child;  you 
had  lived  with  her  for  many  years,  and  the  love  of  her 
had  worked  deeply  into  your  heart,  and  was  there  to 
spring  up  and  speak  for  its  life  when  the  time  came. 

195 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

That  is  the  true  analysis  of  the  situation."  There  was 
a  ring  of  bitterness  in  the  words  "child"  and  "choice," 
and  Fred  did  not  fail  to  notice  it. 

"  Now,"  she  continued,  "when  there  is  no  one  at  hand 
for  whom  you  care  more,  you  come  back  to  me  and  ask 
me  to  forget  the  insults  you  have  heaped  upon  me.  I 
shall  not  do  it,  Mr.  Harmon — shall  not.  Do  not  prate 
to  me  of  humane  duty.  You  were  just  selfish  in  the 
matter,  just  selfish.  I  have  come  to  know  that  what  I 
thought  was  love  for  you  was  only  a  reflection  of  your 
feeling  toward  me.  It  was  not  a  great  love,  was  not 
love  at  first  sight  as  all  true  love  must  be."  (The  poor 
little  romantic  girl  was  laboring  under  this  worn-out 
delusion.)  I  thought  I  cared  because  I  knew  you  cared." 

Fred  had  been  pacing  the  room  during  her  rapid,  ex- 
cited speech.  Now  he  sat  himself  down  wearily.  This 
was  the  way  she  interpreted  all  his  sacrifice  and  his 
suffering  —  "just  selfish."  He  felt  that  he  had  lost  a 
hard-fought  battle.  After  a  few  minutes  he  said  in  a 
low  voice, 

"  Marriage  is  not  necessarily  the  end  of  love,  as  in- 
experienced people  think.  It  is  just  as  easy  and  natural 
to  fall  in  love  after  marriage  as  it  was  before,  if  the 
person  you  married  fails  to  keep  your  love.  However, 
an  honest  man  must  always  perform  his  duty.  I  can 
see  that  more  plainly  now  than  ever,  and  I  would  do  it 
the  same  again."  (He  arose  to  go.)  "If  that  is  the 
way  you  understand  it,  I  will  say  no  more."  Walking 
to  the  door,  he  turned  and  spoke  again,  "  I  can  not 
blame  you.  You  are  so  young  yet,  so  inexperienced. 
You  look  at  life  through  untried  eyes,  but  good  bye, 
Myrnie,"  extending  his  hand. 

"  Good  bye,  Mr.  Harmon,"  she  said  sweetly.     Then 

196 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

they  shook  hands  cordially,  and  he  walked  away,  won- 
dering what  interest  in  life  could  keep  him  alive,  where 
could  he  go,  what  could  he  do.  The  girl  stood  watching 
him  as  he  walked  away  from  her,  pondering  the  same 
questions  for  herself. 

Little  did  she  dream,  as  his  form  had  vanished  from 
view,  and  she  stood  looking  over  the  pretty  town,  that 
to-morrow  the  attractive  picture  would  appear  strangely 
altered.  It  is  the  trivial  happenings  and  commonest 
occasions  that  ofttimes  work  the  greatest  changes  in 
our  surroundings. 


A  Swede  who  worked  long  hours  in  a  mine  milked 
his  cow  after  dark.  He  kept  some  matches  and  a  lantern 
in  the  stable  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  light.  Mice 
usually  inhabit  barns  and  mice  like  chewing  the  phos- 
phorus from  the  ends  of  matches.  Perhaps  some  of  the 
mice  are  high-toned  and  this  takes  the  place  of  rum 
omelet  to  them.  Strange  that  the  Swede  had  not  known 
better  than  to  leave  the  matches  lying  loose,  but  he  was 
an  "  Ole  Oleson"  like  very  many  of  his  countrymen, 
and  he  "  Tank  she  bane  safe  enough."  But  the  matches 
were  carried  to  the  nests  of  the  mice  in  the  hay,  and 
when  the  matches  were  chewed  and  set  burning,  the  hay 
was  ignited.  The  Swede  discovered  the  flame  while  he 
was  milking  his  cow.  He  dashed  his  pail  of  milk  on 
the  fire  but  failed  to  extinguish  it.  He  then  ran  to  his 
horses  and  cows  and  cut  their  ropes,  sending  them 
helter-skelter  into  the  streets,  but  before  he  could  rush 
out  and  give  the  alarm,  the  whole  barn  was  in  a  blaze. 

The  fire  alarm  was  sounded,  and  after  a  while  the 
hose  cart,  ladders  and  engine  came  lumbering  up  the 

197 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

hill.  A  strong  wind  was  blowing,  spreading  the  flames 
in  many  directions.  Already  many  of  the  surrounding 
structures  had  caught  fire,  the  Swede's  house  being  one 
of  the  first  to  go. 

Gallantly  and  nobly  did  the  firemen  work,  every  ef- 
fort being  exerted  to  check  the  onrush  of  the  flames, 
but  that  night  Fate  seemed  enlisted  against  Prescott. 
It  was  a  town  of  five  thousand  inhabitants,  closely  built, 
and  the  majority  of  the  buildings  were  inferior,  wooden 
structures,  dried  like  tinder  through  the  long  summer 
drought.  No  rain  had  fallen  in  six  months.  Very  little 
water  remained  in  the  reservoir.  The  people  knew  this, 
and  were  frantic.  Fire  could  not  have  visited  their  city 
at  a  more  unfortunate  day.  The  water  was  used  very 
wisely,  but  its  force  was  soon  spent;  the  town  was  too 
dry,  the  gale  too  angry. 

The  Swede's  barn  stood  at  the  upper  end  of  a  street, 
which  was  connected  by  a  long  line  of  frame  buildings 
with  Whiskey  Row,  from  whence  an  ambling  line  of  old 
shacks  reached  a  half  mile  to  the  Burk  Hotel.  In  an  in- 
credibly short  space  of  time,  the  advance  guard  of  the 
lapping  red  tongues  were  hurrying  along  toward 
Whiskey  Row.  If  the  course  of  the  flames  could  not  be 
stayed  before  the  large  stores  of  alcoholic  liquors  were 
reached,  all  effort  must  be  vain. 

Buildings  were  being  pulled  down,  and  some  were 
dynamited  in  the  eager  effort  to  subdue  the  scarlet 
enemy,  but  the  spiteful  wind  carried  great  flaming  sheets 
over  the  spaces  thus  made;  these  galloped  madly  on,  and 
soon  explosions  were  heard  in  the  direction  of  Whiskey 
Row,  and  the  people  knew  in  their  troubled  hearts  that 
these  were  the  explosions  of  the  stores  of  spirits. 

The  fire  had  not  travelled  in  one  direction  only.     It 

198 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

was  also  spreading  along  Cortez  Street,  taking  the 
buildings  on  both  sides.  The  great  fight  was  now  to 
keep  it  from  reaching  the  storehouse  of  Bashford-Bur- 
mister,  for  in  this  receptacle  were  large  quantities  of 
mining  supplies,  powder,  dynamite  and  giant  caps;  this, 
too,  looked  like  a  hopeless  battle.  All  the  able-bodied 
men  and  boys  were  fighting  like  Trojans,  and  many 
women  did  what  they  could  in  their  weak  way,  to  check 
the  onrush  of  the  conflagration;  but  what  was  the  use? 
No  help  could  be  expected  from  any  of  the  sister  towns. 
Those  of  any  size  were  too  far  distant,  and  the  fire 
departments  of  even  the  best  of  them  were  primitive  in 
nature  and  insufficient  for  the  city's  needs,  like  those  of 
Prescott. 

By  midnight  the  whole  business  section  of  the  town 
was  in  flames.  A  terible  glare  lit  up  the  heavens,  and 
the  heat  was  almost  unbearable.  Many  noble  workers 
fell  down,  overcome  at  their  posts,  and  had  to  be  taken 
away  to  places  of  safety. 

Women  cried,  cursed  and  fainted,  and  some  few 
prayed:  these  prayers  were  as  unavailing  as  were  the 
curses,  for  the  fire  demon  is  no  respector  of  sentiment. 

At  last  the  flames  reached  the  powder  stores.  The 
populace  fled  with  white  faces,  daring  neither  to  enter- 
tain hope  nor  fear.  The  explosion  came,  a  great  deafen- 
ing roar,  filling  all  space  with  its  terrible  sound.  Then 
followed  a  terrific  concussion,  which,  however,  did  not 
do  the  damage  expected,  for,  strange  to  say,  the  blast 
"pot-holed,"  that  is,  sent  its  force  upward.  Fortunately 
enough  there  was  only  a  small  quantity  of  blasting  sup- 
plies in  the  town,  the  main  magazine  being  two  miles 
from  the  city,  half  buried  under  a  mountain  of  granite. 
Nevertheless,  the  shock  was  so  severe  that  many  adobe 

199 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  brick  structures  were  damaged  or  laid  flat,  while 
people  were  thrown  to  the  ground. 

Only  a  few  dwelling  houses  were  destroyed  by  the 
fire.  One  of  the  best  of  these  was  the  residence  of 
Judge  Crew.  The  Judge  and  his  wife  were  in  the  habit 
of  frequently  attending  bridge  parties.  At  such  times 
they  left  their  two  babes  locked  in  the  house  with  a 
trusty  Chinese  cook,  who  sometimes  slumbered  too 
soundly  over  his  pipes,  and  this  unfortunate  evening 
was  one  that  the  jovial  Judge  and  his  wife  had  chosen 
to  spend  at  the  home  of  a  friend  a  mile  up  Granite  Creek. 

At  the  first  shrill  scream  of  the  fire  alarm,  the  Judge 
and  his  wife  ran  from  the  house  in  great  excitement,  the 
woman  screaming  and  falling  over  countless  objects  till 
she  fainted.  The  Judge,  being  a  strong  man,  picked  his 
wife  up  and  threw  her  over  his  shoulder,  her  poor  head 
hanging  down  pitifully.  This  precious  burden  impeded 
his  progress  perceptibly.  When  the  terrified  spouse 
came  to  consciousness,  the  Judge  was  compelled  to 
linger  some  little  time  with  her  before  she  was  able  to 
follow,  and  when  they  rushed  down  Cortez  street,  the 
blockade  in  the  highway  compelled  them  to  take  a 
roundabout  course,  and  by  the  time  they  reached  their 
house  it  was  all  in  flames  and  unsafe  to  enter.  The 
Judge  desperately  attempted  to  force  an  entrance  and 
save  his  children,  but  he  found  the  hall  completely  filled 
with  fire,  and  fell  down  strangled  and  unconscious.  He 
would  have  perished,  but  that  strong  hands  came  to  his 
aid  in  the  nick  of  time. 

Meanwhile  the  crazed  mother  stood  screaming  to  the 
firemen  to  save  her  perishing  children.  They  made  sev- 
eral gallant  attempts,  but  were  each  time  forced  back. 
Some  of  them  stood  holding  the  crazed  mother,  lest  she 

200 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

rush  into  the  arms  of  a  useless  death.     She  cried  aloud 
and  beat  her  breast,  calling  upon  God  to  save  her  babes. 

A  tall  man  stepped  from  the  crowd,  and  inquired  of 
the  woman  in  what  part  of  the  house  her  children  were. 
She  pointed  to  a  window  on  the  second  floor,  "In  that 
room,  sir.  Oh,  please  save  my  children  for  me!  In 
there !  You  will  not  all  stand  by  and  let  them  burn ! 
You  can  see  a  post  of  the  bed  in  which  they  lay  through 
the  open  window."  Then  she  burst  into  screams  of 
agony. 

The  tall  man  cast  about  for  a  ladder,  but  none  could 
be  had.  They  were  all  in  use  in  other  parts  of  the  town. 
"Give  me  a  rope !"  he  shouted.  A  rope  was  fetched  him, 
but  how  was  he  to  fasten  it  on  the  bedpost? 

Myrnie  Leston  was  among  the  excited  throng  that 
crowded  about  the  house.  She  had  rushed  with  strangers 
from  quarter  to  quarter  till  she  was  almost  exhausted. 
She  saw  the  act  of  the  tall  man,  and  was  inspired  to  go 
and  encourage  him,  but  she  could  not  get  through  the 
crowd.  The  man  had  made  three  unsuccessful  attempts 
to  throw  the  rope  through  the  open  window  over  the 
bedpost,  when  a  slender,  dark  youth  emerged  from  the 
people  and  quietly  said,  "  Give  me  your  rope,  Mister." 

The  rope  was  put  into  his  hands.  He  backed  off  a 
few  paces,  commanded  the  crowd  to  make  room,  took 
the  noose  in  his  right  hand,  making  no  useless  swings 
of  the  rope  about  his  head,  but  giving  it  a  slanting  up- 
ward toss.  All  eyes  saw  it  go  circling  up  and  over  the 
bedpost.  A  slight  jerk  to  tighten  the  rope,  and  it  was 
handed  back  to  the  tall  man. 

Myrnie  stood  very  near  to  the  youth,  and  she  was  so 
greatly  overcome  by  the  mastery  of  his  act  and  the 
cheers  that  greeted  it  that  she  put  out  a  hand  voluntarily 

201 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  touched  him.  He  looked  at  her  and  smiled  frankly 
into  her  eyes.  His  easy,  undisturbed  smile  and  his  eyes 
were  compelling.  Then  folding  his  arms  over  his  chest, 
he  stepped  back  into  the  dissembling  crowd. 

There  was  too  much  transpiring  in  front  of  the  girl 
for  her  to  follow  the  form  of  the  courageous  young  man. 
She  turned  quickly  as  a  sound  of  smothered  excla- 
mations came  to  her  ears.  She  saw  the  tall  man  scaling 
the  wall  by  means  of  the  rope,  then  followed  a  half  min- 
ute of  breathless  silence,  as  he  paused  on  the  window 
sill  a  moment  to  get  breath,  and  as  the  red,  yellow  glare 
flashed  up  and  threw  its  halo  on  his  face,  the  girl  recog- 
nized him.  It  was  Fred. 

Myrnie  knew  why  his  heart  could  be  so  tender  to- 
night; she  knew  why  his  life  meant  little  to  him,  and 
why  he  could  so  easily  imperil  it  to  assuage  the  woes  of 
a  desolate  mother.  She  staggered  blindly  as  she  saw 
him  dash  into  the  smoke-filled  room,  but  the  next  min- 
ute he  was  back  again  poising  on  the  sill  for  the  descent, 
but  with  two  limp  bundles  under  his  arm.  He  put  them 
together  under  one  arm,  and  using  the  free  hand  com- 
menced to  slide  backward  down  the  rope.  When  he  had 
almost  reached  the  ground,  the  whole  side  of  the  house, 
having  been  undermined  by  the  fire  within  the  lower 
room,  fell  in  and  came  with  a  crash  to  the  ground.  By 
a  seeming  miracle  the  man  and  the  two  babes  were 
snatched  from  the  burning  debris,  and  the  flames  smoth- 
ered from  their  clothes. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  the  babes  were  safe,  and 
had  sustained  few  injuries.  They  were  placed  in  the 
arms  of  their  parents,  who  were  frantic  with  joy,  to  the 
extent  that  they  omitted  the  formality  of  expressing 

202 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

their  gratitude  to  the  brave  rescuer  till  several  days  had 
passed. 

Neither  was  Fred  hurt.  As  soon  as  he  was  released 
by  those  who  had  taken  him  from  the  ruins,  he  turned 
to  see  who  it  was  who  was  hugging  his  arm.  A  pale, 
frightened  girl  stood  clinging  to  him,  crying  noiselessly. 

"  Myrnie,"  he  exclaimed  and  they  were  in  each  others 
arms.  "Let  us  get  away,"  she  muttered. 

"  First,  let  us  find  the  fellow  who  threw  that  rope  for 
me.  That  was  the  best  piece  of  roping  I  ever  saw." 
They  looked  about,  but  the  young  man  was  nowhere  to 
be  found. 

"  Who  could  he  have  been,  anyway  ?"  Fred  asked  to 
himself.  Then  he  answered  his  own  question,  "Guess 
he  was  some  cowboy  who  happened  to  be  in  town.  Sorry 
I  can't  find  him,  I  would  like  to  shake  hands  with  that 
fellow." 

Myrnie  and  Fred  drew  away  from  the  assemblage  of 
huddled  forms,  and  sought  a  place  on  higher  ground 
which  had  not  been  visited  by  the  flames,  and  was 
beyond  all  danger  of  the  same.  They  seated  themselves 
on  a  piece  of  wooden  sidewalk  and  beheld  the  devasta- 
ting work  of  the  fire  monster. 

Loud  crashes  of  falling  buildings  and  explosions  came 
to  their  ears  incessantly.  Dawn  was  breaking  faintly 
over  the  startled  hills,  and  an  unnatural  stillness  held 
everything  outside  the  city.  The  business  part  of  the 
town  was  completely  destroyed,  and  a  few  of  the  res- 
idences. 

"  The  Burk  hotel  is  almost  gone,"  Fred  remarked. 

"  Yes,"  an  Irishman  put  in,  who  overheard  the  re- 
mark  as  he  passed  them,  "And  think  of  the  millions  of 
precious  little  lives  that  have  been  lost!"  (meaning  the 

203 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

bed-bugs.)  The  Irishman  passed  on  up  the  hill,  the 
huddled  pair  on  the  sidewalk  followed  him  for  a  moment 
with  their  eyes  and  smiles,  for  both  of  them  well  knew 
the  truth  of  his  remark. 

By  noon  of  that  day  the  flames  were  completely  sub- 
dued, and  the  town  lay  a  heap  of  smoldering  ruins. 
Granite  Street,  as  well  as  the  "million  of  precious  little 
lives,"  had  been  completely  wiped  out,  and  its  shiftless 
inhabitants  set  adrift  upon  the  town.  There  had  been 
but  one  case  of  loss  of  life  in  the  whole  place,  though 
hundreds  of  narrow  escapes  were  accounted  and  a 
number  were  reported  injured.  The  one  unfortunate 
was  the  poor,  drowsy  Oriental  in  Judge  Crew's  house. 

Every  resident  in  the  Territory  of  Arizona  remembers 
that  terrible  night  in  Prescott,  and  scarcely  one  but  held 
his  grain  of  human  interest  in  the  town — if  in  no 
stronger  sense,  a  deep  sympathy  for  some  friend  who 
suffered  loss.  The  residents  of  Prescott  speak  of  the 
night  with  dread  and  pained  faces.  Many  in  the  dead 
of  night  still  dream  of  the  horror  of  the  angry  red  glare 
that  filled  the  whole  dome  of  the  sky,  as  though  the 
Judgment  Day  had  come. 

Heavy-hearted,  but  with  ever  increasing  zest,  they 
set  to  work  bravely  rebuilding  their  town,  for  the  West- 
ern spirit  knows  no  defeat.  Their  courage  and  anima- 
tion grew  as  they  saw  the  modern,  new  structures  climb 
into  the  sky.  To-day  the  town  is  magnificent,  and  stands 
a  monument  to  courageous  hearts  that  thus  brooked 
their  loss.  Every  one  admits  that  the  fire  was  a  God- 
send to  Prescott,  for  now  she  is  the  favored  city  of  the 
Territory.  But  let  the  fire  alarm  sound  its  shrill  scream 
to-day,  and  the  people  are  wild  and  frantic.  They  have 
not  forgotten. 

204 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Out  of  the  thousands  who  were  downcast  and  in- 
jured after  the  calamity,  there  were  two  who  deemed 
themselves  benefitted  and  supremely  happy:  Myrnie 
and  Fred,  of  course.  All  was  made  up  between  them, 
and  it  was  settled  that  Fred  should  go  East  to  float  his 
mining  enterprises,  and  Myrnie  should  teach  the  Brown 
Springs  school,  but  that  one  year  from  the  date  of  the 
fire  their  lots  were  to  be  cast  together. 

Fred  Harmon's  troubles  seemed  at  an  end.  He  could 
look  before  him,  up  the  long  avenues  of  the  future,  and 
see  the  lines  of  perspective  drawing  to  a  common  point 
of  joy  in  the  distant  center  of  his  vision.  All  memory 
of  the  dead  wife  and  her  sorrow  was  wiped  out  in  the 
great  selfishness  of  this  love,  which  wholly  absorbed 
and  made  another  man  of  him. 

Myrnie  had  been  awakened  to  a  sense  of  love.  It  had 
come  to  her  heart  when  she  stood  among  the  people 
about  Judge  Crew's  burning  house ;  had  been  flashed  to 
her  from  a  pair  of  eyes  which  spoke  from  a  kindred 
soul.  There  in  the  heat  and  glare  and  danger,  amid 
scenes  which  reached  down  to  the  bottom  of  one's  soul, 
and  pulled  the  emotions  up  as  it  were  by  the  roots,  had 
come  to  her  undeveloped  heart  love,  at  this  hour  when 
she  had  least  expected  it.  Yes,  love;  that  for  which 
she  had  longed,  about  which  she  had  speculated  so  much. 
It  had  come  at  last,  had  burst  upon  her  as  a  rose  bursts 
into  bloom  in  a  single  ray  of  the  sun's  heat.  It  was  in 
her  entire  being ;  she  could  feel  it  uplifting  her  and  mak- 
ing her  a  wonder  unto  herself ;  and  yet  there  was  some- 
thing so  elusive  and  indistinct  about  it.  It  seemed  to 
vanish  at  times,  and  she  was  hardly  able  to  place  it  upon 
any  tangible  object.  As  she  looked  at  Fred  in  the  days 
that  followed,  it  hardly  seemed  to  her  that  he  was  the 

205 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

object  of  this  love.  When  she  sat  in  the  moonlight  with 
him  or  in  any  dimly  lighted  place,  she  told  herself  that 
it  was  Fred,  and  that  love  possessed  this  uncertain  elf- 
ish nature.  With  her  renewed  promise  to  him  there  came 
too  the  feeling  of  being  bound,  that  she  had  always  ex- 
perienced before,  and  this  was  unpleasant  to  her  free- 
born  soul.  Several  times  she  was  on  the  point  of  ask- 
ing him  to  let  her  go;  but  her  sympathy  arose  again, 
at  the  pain  he  would  suffer,  and  this  kept  her  from  mak- 
ing a  request  for  her  liberty. 


206 


Part  II. 
Life    Among  the    Hammerheads. 


CHAPTER  I. 


MYRNIE  had  written  the  clerk  of  the  Browns  Springs 
school  that  as  school  was  to  open  on  the  following-  Mon- 
day, she  should  appear  among  them  on  Saturday,  and 
suggested  that  he  have  a  team  at  Myer  (which  was  the 
terminus  of  the  railroad  from  Prescott)  to  meet  her  and 
transfer  herself  and  baggage  to  her  destination. 

This  paticular  Saturday  was  a  busy  day  among  the 
ranchers  at  the  Springs.  Every  man  was  hustling,  and 
could  not  spare  either  his  services  or  his  team.  But  dif- 
ficulties of  this  kind  were  usually  easily  overcome  among 
the  ranchers.  Any  of  the  cowboys  in  the  community 
would  consider  it  an  honor  to  be  commissioned  to  go 
after  the  new  school  teacher,  but  it  now  being  a  rushing 
time  with  the  cattle,  they  too  were  needed  at  home. 

Frederic  Oliver,  Jim  Bailey's  sheep  herder,  better 
known  in  the  neighborhood  as  Grin,  most  forcibly  of- 
fered his  services,  and  having  eliminated  a  difficulty  by 
hiring  Moor's  boys  to  tend  his  flocks  during  his  absence, 

207 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

was  told  to  ride  the  filly  over  to  Myer,  and  to  get  a  team 
at  Joe  Myer's  stable  with  which  to  bring  home  the  new 
teacher. 

Grin  was  delighted,  honored,  uplifted.  He  rode  to 
the  village  at  full  gallop,  using  the  filly  disgracefully. 
How  could  he  afford  to  consider  the  filly?  He  would 
be  the  first  to  meet  the  new  school  mistress ! 

"  Haven't  a  team  left  in  the  stable,"  Joe  Myer,  big 
man  of  the  town,  landlord,  postmaster  and  what  not, 
told  Grin  when  he  laid  his  wants  before  him.  "But  if 
you  will  go  up  to  Gray's,  I  think  Don  will  be  glad  to  let 
you  have  his  swift  trotters  and  his  red-wheeled  black 
top.  Don  always  has  been  pretty  tolerable  partial  to 
schoolmarms;  besides  I  reckon  the  best  in  the  land  is 
none  too  good  for  the  tribe."  Thus  joked  good-natured 
Joe,  much  beloved  by  miner,  sheep  herder  and  every- 
body else. 

Grin,  almost  exasperated,  set  out  on  a  dead  run  to 
the  five-acre  farm  where  the  Grays'  lived.  The  train 
bringing  the  young  lady  was  bearing  down  upon  them; 
he  could  see  its  smoke  up  at  Poland  Junction.  He 
breathed  relief  when  he  found  the  Gray  brothers,  Don 
and  Roy,  in  the  barnyard  with  the  team  of  trotters  al- 
most hitched  to  the  red-wheeled  buggy.  When  Grin 
laid  his  predicament  before  them,  they  laughed  loudly, 
considering  it  a  great  joke,  abandoned  the  ride  they  had 
planned,  and  told  Grin  to  run  back  to  the  depot  so  as 
to  be  there  to  meet  the  stranger  when  she  arrived,  and 
that  as  soon  as  they  could  finish  hitching  up  the  horses, 
one  of  them  would  follow  with  the  team. 

Grin  dashed  back  to  town,  hot  foot,  and  rushed  upon 
the  platform  as  Myrnie  stepped  from  the  car,  looking 

208 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

about  her  uneasily,  feeling  most  conspicuous  as  the 
bold-eyed  loungers  stared  at  her.  Grin  ran  up  to  her, 
his  freckled  face  red  to  the  neck,  and  the  heated  red- 
ness of  his  scalp  shining  through  his  thin  white  hair 
and  blowing  his  excited  breath  into  her  face,  as  he 
shouted : 

"You're  the  new  teacher  for  Browns  Springs,  Miss 
L,eston,  ain't  you?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Myrnie,  holding  in  with  difficulty  a 
burst  of  merriment. 

"  Well,  I'm  Frederick  Oliver,  and  right  yonder  comes 
Don  Gray  with  his  crack  trotters  and  black  top,  the 
finest  rig  in  these  parts,  and  I'm  to  take  you  over  to 
the  Springs,  to  Miss  Moor's  or  to  Miss  Morgan's,  which- 
ever place  you  want  to  go." 

Don  Gray  had  driven  up  and  was  hitching  the  team, 
having  heard  every  word  of  Grin's  awkward  introduc- 
tion, which,  with  the  short,  thick  set  of  the  fellow,  and 
his  crude  attempt  at  smart  dress,  was  ludicrous  in  the 
extreme.  As  the  two  came  toward  the  buggy,  Don's 
head  was  bent  forward.  The  brim  of  his  felt  sombrero 
hid  all  of  his  face  except  the  chin,  but  Myrnie  could  see 
that  he  was  laughing  to  himself  as  he  handed  the  lines 
over  to  Grin.  He  glanced  up  in  time  to  catch  the  mis- 
chievous twinkle  in  the  eyes  of  the  girl,  and  the  two  of 
them  gave  way;  the  spirit  of  mischief  controlled  them, 
and  they  could  not  withhold  their  laughter. 

Grin  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  them,  dumb- 
founded and  all  unconscious  of  the  cause  of  their  strange 
behavior;  but  he  lost  no  time  in  throwing  the  baggage 
behind  the  seat,  and  when  he  had  helped  Myrnie  into 
her  seat,  he  sprang  up  beside  her,  and  broke  into  a  vol- 

209 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ley  of  bellows,  ended  by  a  whoop  and  a  yell — though 
for  what  reason  he  did  not  know.  Grin  decided  that  if 
Don  Gray  was  going  to  start  in  like  that  and  be  such  a 
dandy  fellow  with  the  girls,  he  would  do  likewise  and 
a  little  better.  He  struck  the  horses  several  smart  cuts 
and  drove  away,  while  the  girl  beside  him,  still  con- 
vulsed, looked  back  over  her  shoulder  at  the  handsome 
dark  fellow  who  was  hanging  to  the  edge  of  the  plat- 
form to  support  himself  as  he  swayed  about  in  a  tumult 
of  sport,  unable  to  control  himself. 

Neither  of  those  in  the  buggy  spoke  as  the  trotters 
spun  over  the  first  mile  of  the  road,  but  soon  Grin 
brought  his  horses  to  a  walk  and  addressed  her,  "Did 
you  ever  meet  Don  Gray  before?" 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  have  never  met  any  one  from  out  here," 
she  told  him. 

"  Lord,  a  body  would  think  you  and  he  were  old 
chums,"  he  said.  He  sat  fumbling  with  the  lines,  pon- 
dering the  fact  that  they  had  not  met  before;  then  he 
said  to  himself,  "  I  wonder  what  they  were  laughing  at  ? 
Search  me!  Schoolma'ms  are  sure  queer." 

When  they  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  long  ridge 
which  separated  the  two  valleys,  they  could  see  the 
country  over  which  they  were  to  pass  as  well  as  the  hills, 
black  rocky  mesas  and  devious  canyons  that  lay  far  be- 
yond. Some  fourteen  miles  ahead  of  them,  standing 
somewhat  higher  than  the  surrounding  elevations,  stood 
Eshler's  Peak,  like  a  lofty  brick  tower  against  the  faint 
purplish  hue  of  the  hills  beyond.  Iron  Mountain  and 
Browns  Hill  were  nearer,  and  not  so  red  in  their  iron 
formation.  Aside  from  these  peaks,  the  wide  expanse 
of  desert  valley  was  comparatively  level,  stretching 

210 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

away  thirsty  and  tongue-parched  to  the  barren  ranges 
of  mountains  which  hemmed  it  in  on  all  sides.  The 
road  easily  could  be  traced  over  the  varicolored,  rolling 
plain.  Now  you  saw  it  creeping  over  a  level  space  cov- 
ered with  dead  dry  grass;  it  lost  itself  in  a  ravine  to 
come  into  view  again  bending  over  a  ridge  of  higher 
dark  colored  ground;  it  lay  over  spaces  of  white  lime 
outcroppings,  then  further  on,  like  a  red  ribbon,  curved 
around  the  base  of  Browns  Hill  and  out  of  sight.  Every- 
where the  country  was  parched,  and  sear,  and  lonely 
looking,  but  Myrnie  had  learned  to  appreciate  these 
Western  landscape  pictures  and  was  pleased  with  the 
scene  before  her,  though  it  brought  a  great  sense  of 
isolation. 

"  Stop  for  a  minute !"  (she  altered  her  commanding 
tone)  "will  you,  please?"  And  her  companion  obeyed. 

"  Must  we  follow  that  long,  lonely  road  ?"  she  asked. 

"  That's  the  road,  Miss.  The  Browns  Springs  neigh- 
borhood and  your  school  is  over  there,  between  Browns 
Hill  and  Eshler's  Peak.  Dry  Creek  runs  through  there, 
and  the  Ague  Frio  cuts  through  that  canon  this  side  of 
Eshler's  Peak.  That's  no  dry  country.  It  may  look  dry 
to  you,  but  it  does  not  to  an  old  cow.  That's  all  fine 
stock  range,  saccaton,  gramma  grass,  filaree,  and  other 
fine  varieties,  ripe  now  and  full  of  rich  seed.  All  the 
range  cattle  are  fat  now  and  the  sheep  too.  This  is  the 
kind  of  a  year  that  makes  a  feller  feel  glad  he  is  a  stock 
man.  That's  only  thirteen  miles  from  here,  fifteen  miles 
from  Joe's,  we  call  it.  You've  no  notion  of  turning  back 
have  you?" 

"  No,  no,  but  it  makes  me  feel  so  lonely,"  she  told  him. 

"  Pshaw,  that  will  not  last  long ;  you'll  like  it.  Mighty 

211 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

good  people  live  over  here,  just  as  sociable  and  clever. 
They're  lookin'  for'ard  mighty  keen  to  your  comin', 
powerful  anxious  to  know  what  sort  of  a  lookin'  girl 
you  are.  Gee  Whiz,  the  surprise  that's  waitin'  for  'm !  " 

"  Why,  Mr.  Oliver,  am  I  so  bad  looking  as  that?"  she 
asked. 

"  Bad  lookin'  ?  Gee  Whiz,  it's  your  all-fired  good  looks 
that  is  goin'  to  surprise  'm.  None  of  the  other  teachers 
was  ever  so  purty." 

"  Oh,  you  are  trying  to  flatter  me,  Mr.  Oliver,"  she 
was  laughing. 

"  Lord  God,  girl,  ain't  you  got  no  lookin'  glass  at  your 
house?" 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  take  me  to  board  ?"  she 
asked,  ignoring  his  last  question. 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  take  you  no  place  against  your  will. 
That  is  for  you  to  settle.  Ther's  two  places  where  they 
want  you  to  board;  at  Becky  Moore's  and  at  Lucy 
Morgan's.  Miss  Morgan  is  the  cleanest  housekeeper. 
Gee  Whiz,  her  house  is  just  like  wax,  but  then  I  have 
observed  that  a  cranky  woman  is  usually  a  good  house- 
keeper; but  Lucy  don't  set  the  good  table  that  Becky 
does.  Lucy,  she's  too  stingy,  yes  too  stingy  to  set  the 
meal's  victuals  that  Becky  does.  Nor  Lucy  hain't  got 
the  purty  room  all  a'waitin'  for  you  that  Becky's  got, 
for  I  was  down  to  Becky's  yesterday  and  Grace  showed 
the  room  to  me.  Of  course,  Becky,  she's  got  four  kids 
and  can't  be  expected  to  keep  her  house  done  up  so 
spink-spank  as  Lucy  can  without  no  young  ones.  I 
think  you  would  feel  more  to  home  with  Becky;  she's 
different  from  Lucy.  Lucy  is  a  good  woman,  and  I 
would  not  for  the  world  say  one  word  to  cause  you  to 

212 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

go  to  Becky's  instead  of  Lucy's.  But,  Gee  Whiz,  Lucy 
is  Irish,  she's  got  the  red  hair.  Let  a  woman  show  me 
the  red  hair  and  I  will  show  you  the  spit-fire.  Then 
Lucy,  she's  got  the  pug-nose ;  let  a  woman  show  me  the 
pug-nose  and  I  will  show  you  the  inquisitive  meddler, 
a  snupe,  who  goes  into  your  trunk  and  reads  your  letters 
when  you  are  not  at  home.  That's  what  Lucy  did  to 
one  teacher  who  boarded  with  her.  Then  she  went  about 
the  neighborhood  after  the  teacher  had  gone  and  told 
some  all-fired  lies  about  the  letters.  Then  Lucy,  she  has 
all  those  cowboys  from  the  O.  R.  ranch  hanging  around 
her  place  most  of  the  time,  Silvertip,  The  Corkonian  and 
The  Terror  of  Doublin,  we  call'm,  besides  a  hunchback 
we  call  the  Three-cornered  Kid,  all  Irish,  of  course. 
They  are  always  welcome  at  Lucy's  house,  and  they 
make  a  regular  boar's  nest  of  her  place.  Becky  is  a  fine 
motherly  woman.  I  go  to  Becky's  often,  she  is  just  like 
a  mother  to  me." 

"  I  think  you  can  take  me  to  Mrs.  Moore's.  I  like 
children  and  they  will  keep  me  from  being  lonesome. 
Besides  I  rather  need  a  mother  myself." 

"  You've  chosen  wise,  Miss.  I  think  a  whole  lot  of 
you  already.  Soon  as  I  set  eyes  on  you  I  said  to  my- 
self, 'Now,  there's  a  girl !'  You  can't  fool  me  on  women, 
I've  studied  'm.  Now,  Lucy,  she'll  be  as  mad  as  a  hor- 
net because  you  go  to  Becky's,  and  she'll  blame  me  for 
it,  and  there  is  no  more  love  between  me  and  Lucy  now 
than  the  law  allows.  But  you  can  tell  her  that  I  had 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  it.  You  like  child  com- 
pany and  I  admire  you  for  it.  Lucy  can't  blame  me 
because  she  is  not  so  prolific  as  Becky."  Grin  here  en- 
joyed a  quiet  laugh  to  himself  and  continued,  "You  see, 

213 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Bob  Moore  and  Eshler  Morgan  are  half-brothers;  both 
are  cattlemen  and  naturally  their  wifes  don't  jibe.  I 
herd  sheep  for  Jim  Bailley;  cattlemen  and  sheep  never 
jibe.  I  never  do  bother  Bob  with  the  sheep,  but  some- 
times I  let'm  stray  down  close  to  Lucy  just  for  a  little 
sport."  Here  he  threw  back  his  head  and  let  out  a 
long,  loud  roar,  which  reminded  the  girl  of  deer  hounds 
she  had  heard  in  Nova  Scotia.  But  Grin  went  on, 

"  Last  summer  Lucy  brought  her  gun  out  and  shot 
a  sheep  or  two  for  me  right  before  my  eyes,  and  I  tell 
you  I  hustled  them  away.  Yes,  Lucy  and  I,  we  love 
each  other  when  we  are  dreaming.  But  you  will  like 
the  school  over  here  and  most  of  the  people.  We  sure 
do  have  the  big  times  over  here  in  winter,  dances  all 
over  the  country.  A  bunch  of  us  fellers  gets  a  girl 
apiece  and  goes  sixteen  or  twenty  miles  to  a  dance,  go 
to  Cherry  Creek,  or  McCabe,  or  to  Camp  Verde.  But 
our  own  dances  right  here  at  home  in  Eshler's  hall  suit 
me  well  enough.  Do  you  dance,  Miss?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  learning.  I  have  been  in  this  country 
only  a  year,  and  I  never  danced  in  Nova  Scotia.  I  am 
rather  an  inexperienced  dancer." 

"  But  you've  sure  come  to  the  right  place  to  get  broke 
in.  Yes  siree,  this  am  sure  the  place  where  they  break 
broncos." 

"  Do  the  young  people  of  Myer  come  over  to  your 
dances?"  Myrnie  inquired,  hedging  toward  a  question 
that  interested  her. 

"  Yes,  some  of  them,"  and  after  a  minute's  thought 
he  added,  "  But  if  it's  Don  Gray  you're  wantin'  to  know 
about,  I  can  tell  you  that  feller  is  struck  on  himself.  He 
goes  to  Prescott  to  the  swell  dances ;  takes  his  girl,  Kate 

214 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

with  him.  How  could  you  expect  a  swell  guy  like  him 
to  mingle  much  with  us  hammerheads  over  here?  We 
don't  put  on  agony  enough  for  him." 

"Then  he  has  a  sweetheart ?" 

"  Don  Gray?  Well,  I  guess,  yes!  He's  a  full-blooded 
ladies'  man.  But  I'm  not  afraid  of  his  gettin'  struck  on 
you.  He  can  see  no  one  but  Kate  just  now.  She's  old 
Bremister's  daughter  down  country  on  the  Ague  Frio. 
He's  a  cattleman  and  considerable  rich.  Kate  is  sure 
purty — big  black,  snappin'  eyes — but  Gee  Whiz,  black 
eyes  don't  go  when  you  are  around." 

Here  the  girl  laughed  outright,  and  asked  him  if  he 
did  not  think  Don  Gray  might  think  the  same. 

"  No  danger  of  that ;  Don  Gray  is  plumb  salmoned  on 
Kate;  she's  got  her  clutches  on  him.  He  comes  over 
to  my  camp  and  stays  a  week  at  a  time.  Don  and  I  are 
good  friends,  but  he  does  not  care  that  much  for  me 
alone.  My  camp  is  only  two  miles  from  Bremister's 
ranch.  Don  is  gone  all  day  some  days,  and  some  days 
he  stays  at  camp,  and  some  days  he  herds  for  me  if  I 
want  to  go  to  the  burg,  and  on  these  days  Kate  is  out 
on  the  hills  herding  with  him.  But  I  savvy  why  Don 
visits  me  so  often.  He  never  mentions  her  name,  unless 
I  jeer  him  about  her." 

Myrnie  did  not  reply  to  this.  She  became  absorbed 
in  the  scenery,  turning  about  and  looking  over  the 
country  they  had  left  behind.  On  every  side  were 
mountains,  great  granite  mountains,  hemming  in  the  ex- 
pansive valley,  reaching  far  to  the  north  and  to  the 
south,  much  greater  in  length  than  in  breadth.  The  low 
land  was  thickly  studded  with  sage  brush,  grease  wood 
and  mesquite,  with  here  and  there  a  live  oak  tree.  On 

215 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  mountain  sides  were  scattered  scrub-oak  and  on  the 
rocky  ledges  scrub-cedar. 

"That  ridge  we  crossed  back  there  is  Pine  Ridge," 
Grin  informed  her,  "  because  that  pine  tree  that  you  see 
on  the  summit,  is  the  only  pine  tree  in  this  section.  This 
first  mountain  ahead  is  Iron  Mountain.  I.  T.  Stewart 
has  a  copper  mine  up  on  the  summit  of  the  lime  and  iron 
there.  The  mine  is  closed  now  for  lack  of  funds.  Doc 
Manhart  is  the  keeper,  Doc  is  the  darnation  good  feller. 
We  are  only  five  miles  from  Becky's  now." 

They  rode  on  in  silence  for  a  mile  or  two;  then  Grin 
raised  his  whip  and  pointed  toward  a  bluff  of  rock, 
which  seemed  to  push  its  tall  granite  spires  from  the 
end  of  a  long  ridge.  These  spires  stood  up  in  broken, 
uneven  lengths,  casting  their  long  shadows  behind  them, 
for  the  evening  was  far  advanced. 

"  That's  Black  Hawk's  Stronghold.  Under  those  rocks 
are  caves  filled  with  rattlesnakes.  Thirty  years  ago  old 
Black  Hawk,  the  Comanche  chief,  and  his  braves,  held 
off  Uncle  Sammie's  boys  for  a  whole  winter  in  those 
caves." 

Myrnie  wished  to  inquire  further  about  Kate.  All 
this  news  about  Indians  did  not  interest  her  much.  How- 
ever, she  feared  to  manifest  a  deep  interest  in  the  girl, 
since  her  companion  had  already  shown  suspicion  of  this 
interest. 

"  Well,  here  we  are  at  Becky's,"  Grin  remarked  as 
they  turned  the  summit  of  a  round  knoll,  and  came  in 
view  of  an  old-fashioned  lumber-house.  As  they  ap- 
proached the  gate,  a  little  girl  in  blue  gingham  pina- 
fore ran  to  open  it  and  stood  smiling  to  greet  them. 

216 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Hello,  Milly,"  Grin  called  out.  "This  is  your  new 
teacher." 

"  Good  evening,  Milly,"  Myrnie  said,  wishing  to  be- 
come friendly  with  her  new  surroundings  at  once. 

"  Hello,"  grinned  back  the  dear  little  girl,  hanging  on 
behind  the  buggy,  and  inspecting-  the  baggage  curiously. 

They  went  through  the  gate,  passed  some  barns  and 
drove  on  to  the  house  within  the  picket  paling,  to  greet 
the  family  who  stood  in  the  yard,  Becky  Moore  with  her 
hands  on  her  hips;  Bob,  her  husband,  with  arms  folded 
over  his  chest;  Grace,  a  healthy  girl  of  sixteen,  whose 
tanned  arms  came  out  of  the  sleeves  of  a  pink  dress, 
and  two  boys,  Rob  and  Elmer,  respectively  twelve  and 
fourteen,  standing  somewhat  apart,  bashful  but  more 
curious  perhaps  than  all  the  rest.  An  uncouth  and  awk- 
ward group  they  seemed  to  Myrnie,  but  the  hearty  wel- 
come and  their  honest  pleasure  in  meeting  her  were  un- 
mistakable. 

The  girl  greeted  them  warmly,  shaking  hands  with  all 
of  them,  even  with  Rob  and  Elmer,  who  offered  their 
"paws"  lamely,  being  unused  to  so  much  ceremony. 

"  Come  right  in,  Miss  Leston ;  I  know  you  are  plumb 
tired  out  with  that  ride.  I'll  show  you  right  to  your 
room.  Law,  I  was  only  a  girl  and  right  from  a  thick- 
settled  part  of  Iowa  when  I  first  came  over  that  road. 
I  sure  thought  that  Bob  was  bringing  me  to  the  edge  of 
the  jumping-off  place." 

"  Oh,  I  think  it  is  charming  out  here,  Mrs.  Moore," 
was  the  cheerful  reply  from  the  girl. 

"  Law  child,  I'm  glad  if  you  do.  I've  grown  used  to 
it  now  and  should  not  care  to  live  any  place  else.  The 

217 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ride  to  Myer  is  a  pleasure  trip  to  me  now.     I  think  you 
will  find  us  fair  folks  to  live  with,  if  a  bit  plain." 

Mrs.  Moore  had  led  to  a  large  room  on  the  ground 
floor  which  opened  onto  the  veranda  as  well  as  into  the 
large  living  room.  There  was  plenty  of  light  and  cheer 
in  the  room  and  comfortable  furniture,  which  Myrnie 
mentally  inventoried  as  follows:  An  old-fashioned  bed 
curtained  in  white,  pillow  shams  starched  stiff  and  with 
mottoes  in  the  centers  (encircled  by  garlands  of  flowers 
which  read,  "Go  to  sleep  like  the  flowers,"  and  "A  glor- 
ious morning  unto  you"),  three  chairs  of  different 
styles,  two  rockers  and  a  straight  back,  a  table  with  a 
red  cover,  a  heavy  old  chest  of  drawers  newly  varnished, 
a  red  plush-covered  spring  couch  (which  when  you  sat 
down  threw  up  your  knees  to  hit  you  in  the  face,  so 
weak  the  springs  had  become),  a  washstand,  with 
blue  granite-ware  bowl  and  pitcher,  and  a  large  rug 
which  almost  covered  the  floor.  Freshly  ironed  muslin 
curtains  were  at  the  windows,  colored  cards,  old  fash- 
ioned bric-a-brac  and  an  old  chromo  or  two  lit  up  the 
dim  wall-paper.  This  was  the  "purty  room"  Grin  had 
held  out  as  an  inducement  for  her  to  come  to  Becky's. 
Later,  when  Myrnie  had  been  through  the  house,  she 
discovered  that  every  article  of  beauty  the  household 
possessed  had  been  lovingly  transferred  to  this  room. 

Her  baggage  had  been  brought  in  and  placed  by  lov- 
ing hands.  It  did  not  take  Myrnie  long  to  find  that  the 
one,  all-absorbing,  annual  interest  was  the  new  school 
teacher,  she  being  about  the  only  new  person  worth 
while  who  came  to  dwell  among  these  people. 

The  girl  adjusted  her  belongings  in  her  room  and  felt 
almost  happy.  Presently  the  pretty,  sunburned  face  of 

218 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

little  Milly  was  thrust  in  at  the  door  to  announce  that 
supper  was  ready.  Grin  Oliver  had  remained  for  the 
meal,  of  course.  Every  face  was  cheerful  and  bright, 
Becky  Moore  doing  the  bulk  of  the  talking,  while  her 
sleepy  husband  acquiesced  and  agreed  with  her  in  every 
instance.  The  children  looked  at  Myrnie  constantly  or 
spoke  in  awed  whispers;  however,  the  contents  of  the 
table  provided  more  than  one  item  of  interest  to  the 
hungry  stranger.  There  was  tenderloin  steak,  roast 
quail,  sweet  home-made  butter,  thick  cream  for  every- 
thing, rich  cold  milk  to  drink,  cottage  cheese,  fresh  eggs, 
pie  and  cake,  and  all  spread  out  in  generous  family 
style. 

"  Now,  we  haven't  much  to  eat,  but  pitch  right  in  and 
help  yourself  and  make  yourself  at  home.  I  do  hope 
you  will  not  starve  out  here  among  us  hammerheads." 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Moore,  the  table  is  fairly  groaning  under 
this  load;  rarely  have  I  seen  such  a  generous  board," 
was  the  girl's  reply,  and  this  set  the  children  all  laugh- 
ing at  the  idea  of  the  table's  groaning.  Milly  hid  her 
head  under  the  table  and  whispered  to  Rob,  "Generous 
board !  My,  but  she  is  stylish !" 

Myrnie  neither  heard  nor  saw  this.  Mrs.  Moore  was 
telling  her  about  the  school,  that  this  year  there  would 
be  a  good,  large  attendance,  about  fifteen  pupils  in  all, 
while  last  year  there  had  been  but  ten.  That  last  year 
they  had  paid  seventy-five  dollars  per  month,  but  had 
more  money  this  year,  and  could  pay  ninety  dollars, 
since  more  money  should  be  paid  for  teaching  more 
children,  and  if  all  this  year's  school  money  was  not 
used  that  it  went  back  to  the  common  school  fund, 
anyway. 

219 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

After  the  meal  Myrnie  and  the  two  girls  went  out  to 
look  about  the  place.  A  wide  veranda  ran  around  three 
sides  of  the  house.  Ill-kept  flower-beds  were  scattered 
about  the  yard,  with  dying  bachelor  buttons,  phlox  and 
marigolds  in  them.  A  thin  hedge  of  sweet  peas  stood 
up  along  the  fence,  while  hop  vines  and  morning  glory 
vines  sheltered  the  western  porch.  A  few  fruit  trees 
stood  in  the  inclosure  called  the  yard ;  in  the  back  part 
stood  old  outbuildings  without  doors,  littered  with  tools, 
farming  implements  (though  I  do  not  know  what  use 
there  was  for  these),  saddles,  bridles,  horseshoes,  and 
reeking  of  cowhides  and  sheepskins. 

Dry  Creek,,  dry,  except  for  a  few  deep  holes  of  water 
along  its  course,  delved  into  a  deep  hollow  along  the 
south  side  of  the  fence,  the  banks  of  which  broke  off 
sheer  and  slippery  just  outside  the  inclosure,  where  pools 
of  slimy  green  water  stood  in  the  deep  hollows.  Herds 
of  range  cattle  came  here  to  water,  and  the  banks  were 
deeply  tracked  and  cut  up. 

Myrnie  could  hear  the  wild  doves  cooing  to  each  other 
all  along  this  creek,  and  the  sense  of  rest  and  peace 
which  the  sound  conveyed  to  her  overwrought  nerves 
was  welcome  indeed.  There  was  another  sound  which 
was  not  so  consoling,  and  this  Myrnie  took  for  the  bleat- 
ing of  a  sheep  in  distress.  "Baaa !  baaa !"  was  called  out 
at  frequent  intervals,  till  the  girl  began  to  feel  that  it 
needed  help. 

"  I  wonder  what  is  the  matter  with  that  poor  sheep," 
she  remarked. 

"  What  sheep  ?"  Grace  asked  her. 

"  Did  you  not  hear  that  sheep  bleating  as  though  it 
were  in  distress?  Listen,  and  you  will  hear  it."  They 

220 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

stood  still  and  listened,  but  the  sheep  kept  stilf.  Just  as 
they  were  giving  up  the  idea  of  hearing  it  again  and  had 
started  toward  the  barns,  "Baa !  baa !"  said  the  sheep. 

"There,"  said  Myrnie,  "you  heard  it  that  time."  To 
her  surprise  the  two  girls  threw  up  their  hands  and 
screamed  with  laughter,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
they  could  say,  "That  is  no  sheep — that  is  a  frog  in  one 
of  those  pools."  And  they  ran  to  the  house  to  tell  the 
others  about  the  "teacher's  poor  sheep,"  and  the  laughter 
was  as  hearty  here  also.  Of  a  verity  that  is  the  way  the 
frogs  croak  in  Arizona. 

The  girls  now  went  to  the  barns,  where  the  great 
corrals  were.  The  fences  were  made  high  and  strong 
to  hold  the  milling  herds  of  cattle.  A  number  of  these 
strong  corrals  stood  together,  opening  one  into  another 
by  a  series  of  bars.  These  Myrnie  was  told  were  used 
for  cutting  out  or  separating  horses  or  cattle,  being  con- 
sidered better  than  the  old  way  of  using  the  open  plain. 
Upon  a  hillside  stood  the  sheep-pens,  made  of  brush 
and  the  dipping  bins,  the  sheep  of  a  large  territory  being 
brought  here  for  the  spring  dipping.  This  ranch  seemed 
to  be  the  center  of  operations  of  the  whole  country. 
Myrnie  was  amazed  at  the  stock  of  information  these 
two  girls  were  able  to  give  relative  to  the  handling,  rais- 
ing and  shipping  of  all  kinds  of  live  stock,  especially 
cattle,  but  on  many  subjects  upon  which  girls  of  their 
ages  should  have  been  informed,  they  were  totally  ig- 
norant. 

"  Oh,  it's  heaps  and  heaps  of  fun  to  see  them  cut  out," 
Grace  informed  her.  "All  the  cowboys  in  the  country 
come  here  because  Pa  has  the  best  arrangements  of  any- 
one about  here,  and  he  lets  all  use  them,  and  it's  fine  to 

221 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

i 

see  the  sheep  dipping,  too.  I've  stayed  on  the  top  of  this 
fence  all  day  long  watching  them  cut  out  steers  to  ship. 
Some  of  the  old  forty-niners  are  sure  sinners." 

"Forty-niners?    What  are  they?"  Myrnie  asked. 

"  Those  are  the  old,  long-horned  boys  who  have  es- 
caped the  round-up  for  a  year  or  two.  They  get  lean 
and  raw-boned  and  wild,  and  are  sure  in  for  a  scrap. 
You  bet  the  boys  have  to  fight  shy  of  them,  or  they  get 
a  gutted  horse,"  Grace  replied,  unconscious  of  the  slang 
she  used. 

The  remainder  of  the  evening  was  spent  indoors, 
Becky  Moore  and  her  brood  being  ravenously  fed  and 
satisfied  by  the  story  of  Myrnie's  life  in  Nova  Scotia, 
which  they  eagerly  pumped  from  her,  and  when  she  had 
done  they  considered  her  a  wonderful  person.  Bob  sat 
on  the  veranda  in  the  fine  moonlight  playing  on  his 
'Voyleen,"  as  he  called  it  before  stylish  company,  "fiddle" 
being  used  for  home  folks.  Myrnie  afterwards  found 
that  many  men  in  this  neighborhood  played  a  "voyleen," 
but  Grin  Oliver  was  their  best  musician.  How  pleasant 
to  be  thus  thrown  among  people  of  her  own  taste;  but 
her  playing  did  not  seem  to  particularly  please  the  ear 
of  these  people  at  first.  They  liked  Grin's  music  better ; 
but  before  she  had  left  them  their  taste  for  music  had 
been  somewhat  elevated. 

"  I  never  cared  for  a  Voyleen'  played  by  note,"  they 
said  at  first.  "  It  is  too  much  like  some  one  crying, 
and  is  no  good  for  dancing.  Give  us  the  Voyleen'  played 
by  ear." 

Another  asked,  "Do  you  play  the  Fisher's  Hornpipe, 
the  Devil's  Dream,  Pretty  Little  Men  in  Sandyland? 

222 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

No  ?  I  am  so  sorry.  Those  are  my  favorites  on  the 
'voyleen'." 

Myrnie  went  to  bed  that  night  feeling  very  happy, 
her  senses  keenly  alive  to  the  opening  of  a  new  life, 
strange  and  extremely  interesting.  Perhaps  it  was  a  bit 
rough,  but  the  kindness,  loving  interest  and  pure  minds 
of  the  people  made  it  seem  exceedingly  fine  to  her.  She 
knew  that  kindness  was  not  handed  around  in  this  wise 
in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  This  plunge  into  Cattle 
Land  was  new  to  her,  but  she,  being  a  true  child  of 
nature,  was  able  to  appreciate  it,  not  that  she  recognized 
it  as  a  distinct  type  of  American  life,  but  her  impres- 
sionable nature  felt  its  subtle  fascination.  Its  unbounded 
freedom  appealed  to  her,  as  she  was  released  from  all 
former  conditions. 

After  she  had  been  in  bed  for  half  an  hour,  she  re- 
membered Fred  Harmon  with  a  start,  for  the  first  time 
since  leaving  the  cars  at  Myer.  As  the  slow  train  had 
borne  her  along  the  uneven  road  on  her  way  to  Myer, 
she  had  with  difficulty  restrained  the  tears  at  the  thought 
of  the  long  time  that  must  elapse  before  she  should  see 
him  again.  But  the  time  since  had  been  so  full  of  crowd- 
ing thoughts  and  new  impressions  that  she  had  almost 
forgotten  his  existence.  She  was  ashamed  of  her  neg- 
ligence, and  said  her  prayers  in  bed  over  again,  asking 
God  to  bless  him.  But  before  she  slept,  she  remembered 
a  laughing  pair  of  brown  eyes,  which  held  something 
within  them  that  was  compelling,  and  saw  the  gleam  of 
even  white  teeth,  whose  clean  wholesomeness  was 
heightened  by  the  dark  tan  of  a  perfectly  featured  young 
face. 


223 


CHAPTER  II. 


MYRNIE  jumped  from  her  bed  the  next  morning  at 
the  sound  of  knocking  at  her  door;  she  had  overslept. 
Breakfast  was  ready,  she  was  informed,  and  by  the 
time  she  had  finished  her  toilet  and  come  out  into  the 
dining-room,  the  family  was  seated  at  the  table.  The 
same  good  cheer  and  fellowship  greeted  her  as  on  the 
previous  night. 

She  gathered  from  the  breakfast-table  conversation 
that  a  large  number  of  cattle  were  to  be  brought  to  the 
corrals  that  day,  and  branded  and  separated  into  different 
lots.  She  heard  them  speaking  of  the  "rodeo,"  a  word 
whose  meaning  was  unknown  to  her,  but  having  heard 
also  some  conversation  about  the  hay-bailing  crews  and 
machine  which  were  at  work  on  Bremister's  river  bottom 
alfalfa  fields,  she  had  in  a  confused  way  linked  the  two 
ideas  together,  and  asked  quite  innocently,  "Is  the  rodeo 
the  hay-bailing  machine?" 

At  this  every  member  of  the  family  fairly  yelled  with 
choking  laughter.  Bob  'Moore  beat  the  corner  of  the 
table  with  his  fist  and  silently  shook  from  head  to  foot, 
with  tears  streaming  down  his  face,  while  the  boys  fell 
on  the  floor  and  kicked  the  table  legs  in  glee.  Mrs. 
Moore  was  speechless,  and  the  two  girls  threw  their 
heads  on  each  other's  shoulders  to  support  themselves 

224 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

while  they  giggled.  As  soon  as  Bob  could  speak,  he 
drawled  out  between  snorts: 

"  You  Eastern  school  -  ma'ams  are  awfully  fine  and 
smart;  you  know  grammar  and  arithmetic  and  manners, 
but  there  are  a  few  practical  things  in  Arizona  that 
stump  you." 

Myrnie  had  laughed  with  the  rest,  knowing  that  she 
had  made  another  blunder,  and  as  soon  as  Becky  could 
recover,  she  wiped  her  eyes  and  said : 

"  Of  course  it  is  not  strange  that  you  do  not  know 
what  'rodeo'  means,  but  you  must  excuse  us  for  laughing, 
it  seems  so  funny  to  us.  '  Rodeo'  is  an  every  day  word 
with  us.  It  is  the  Mexican  word  for  'round-up'.  You 
see,  here  so  close 'to  the  border  of  Mexico,  we  get  into 
the  habit  of  using  many  Mexican  words  that  are  shorter 
and  more  handy  than  our  own.  'Rodeo'  is  used  for  round- 
up all  over  the  southwest.  This  is  the  time  of  the  fall 
rodeo,  and  the  boys  have  gathered  the  cattle  from  the 
whole  range  and  have  them  in  one  herd  up  in  the  valley ; 
to-day  they  will  bring  them  here  to  separate  them  into 
herds  of  each  outfit's  cattle.  There  will  be  some  brand- 
ing to  do  of  the  late  calves.  It's  a  good  sight,  Miss 
Leston — broadens  a  body's  mind  to  understand  cattle." 

"  But  this  is  Sunday,  Mrs.  Moore.  Do  they  work  on 
Sunday?" 

"  Work  on  Sunday  ?"  Becky  Moore  smiled  her  sweet, 
compassionate  smile,  and  shook  her  head  sadly  with, 
"Indeed  they  do  work  on  Sunday.  Yes,  they  generally 
save  such  jobs  as  brandin'  or  cuttin'  out  for  Sunday. 
The  men  enjoy  it.  It  takes  the  place  that  base  ball  takes 
in  your  country.  These  cowboys  are  proud  of  their 
skill  with  the  cattle,  indeed  they  are.  When  I  first  came 

225 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

out  here  it  nigh  broke  my  heart  to  see  them  all  work  on 
Sunday.  I  was  brought  up  religious  like,  but  I've  grown 
used  to  it  now  till  one  day  don't  seem  no  more  sacred  nor 
holy  to  me  than  another.  It's  a  custom  of  our  country, 
and  our  customs  grow  out  of  necessities,  and  are  not 
wrong.  We  even  laugh  now  at  the  idea  of  the  Sabbath's 
sacredness.  It's  a  joke  among  us.  But  it  used  to  trouble 
me  terribly,  and  I  did  a  lot  of  useless  praying  over  it  in 
those  days;  however,  I  think  I've  solved  the  matter  for 
myself — sort  of  worked  it  out  by  my  own  needs  and  ex- 
periences, as  we  have  to  do  all  things  out  here.  You 
see,  this  is  a  necessity.  There  is  no  church  or  Sunday 
school  among  us,  and  it  comes  to  me  that  one  day  is  no 
different  from  another.  It's  all  God's  time — every  day 
is  a  seventh  day;  and  by  doing  our  duty,  we  are  keep- 
ing every  day  holy.  I  know  you  can't  see  it  that  way — 
you  are  just  from  a  country  where  traditional  things 
count.  But  necessity  governs  in  Arizona,  and  we  can- 
not afford  to  pay  heed  to  precedent.  We  live  too  near 
nature,  too  near  to  the  source  of  things  for  that.  I  like 
these  ways  better  now,  and  I  should  hate  to  be  governed 
again  by  those  old,  narrow  ways.  Freedom  is  better 
than  bondage,  where  there  is  no  evil  in  the  freedom. 
Our  people  help  each  other  in  a  practical  way,  and  are 
generally  square-toed  citizens,  and  that  is  as  good  as 
you  can  find  anywhere." 

Myrnie  was  shocked  and  a  little  surprised  to  hear  this 
woman  talk  in  this  way.  It  showed  that  she  had  thought 
for  herself  more  deeply  than  anyone  would  suppose. 
There  was  a  reason  in  what  she  said,  though  the  girl 
could  not  as  yet  approve  of  her  reasoning. 

A  far  away,  softened  look  stole  over  the  mother's  face 
226 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

as  she  continued  talking,  "My  children  have  been  to 
church  only  a  few  times.  Once  in  a  while  some  one- 
horse  preacher  strays  out  this  way,  but  generally  they 
are  too  careful  of  getting  their  shoes  dusty  to  come  out 
here  to  save  the  souls  of  the  hammerheads.  I  am  satis- 
fied with  my  children ;  they  live  near  to  Nature,  and  ain't 
that  God?" 

They  were  disturbed  by  a  sound  of  laughing,  and,  look- 
ing outside,  saw  Bob  Moore  holding  his  sides  while  he 
repeated,  "Is  the  hay-bailin'  machine  the  rodeo?" 

And  all  day  long  some  member  of  the  family  took  his 
turn  at  repeating  the  question,  and  to  the  last  day  that 
Myrnie  lived  among  these  people  it  was  considered  a 
great  joke  among  them,  never  failing  to  put  them  into 
hysterias  of  laughter.  All  the  community  heard  of  it, 
and  Myrnie  enjoyed  it  as  much  as  anyone  else. 

She,  Milly  and  Grace  walked  over  to  the  school-house 
after  breakfast  to  make  ready  for  the  opening  of  school 
on  the  morrow.  The  school-house  was  a  neat,  lumber 
structure  of  a  single  room,  with  up-to-date  iron  desks 
with  stationary  ink-wells.  The  door  and  window  cas- 
ings were  painted  a  vivid  green  both  inside  and  out, 
otherwise  the  building  was  unpainted.  There  were  maps, 
charts,  every  kind  of  needful  apparatus,  and  Myrnie 
was  delighted  with  the  outlook.  The  dead  evergreens 
of  last  year's  closing  day's  decoration  still  hung,  dust- 
covered,  on  the  walls.  These  were  taken  down,  the  walls 
dusted,  and,  to  the  delight  of  Milly  and  Grace,  were 
adorned  with  a  number  of  pretty  pictures  and  mottoes 
which  Myrnie  had  brought  along  for  the  purpose.  Thus 
cleaned  and  embellished  the  room  was  attractive,  and 
the  girls  left  it  to  go  back  to  the  ranch  house,  for  the 

227 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

dinner  hour  was  approaching.  Outside  several  oak  trees 
stood  near  enough  to  shield  the  house  from  the  sun,  and 
down  by  the  big  spring — Brown's  Springs,  where  the 
generous  stream  of  water  came  from  under  a  pile  of 
rocks — stood  a  number  of  large  cottonwood  trees.  The 
spring  was  fenced  to  prevent  the  range  cattle  from  de- 
filing its  pure  water,  but  a  liberal  stream  ran  truant  over 
the  flat  below,  making,  a  kind  of  meadow,  called  the 
park,  the  only  oasis  of  the  kind  for  miles  around. 

When  the  girls  had  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  they 
paused,  seating  themselves  on  some  flat  boulders  to  rest, 
their  faces  toward  Myer. 

"  Do  you  often  go  to  Myer  ?  "  Myrnie  asked,  again 
hedging  toward  a  subject  of  interest. 

"Oh,  yes;  we  go  often.  We  just  love  to  go.  They 
have  fine  dances  and  school  entertainments  over  there," 
Grace  told  her. 

"  Do  the  Myer  folks  come  over  here  to  your  dances  ?" 

"  Not  so  often ;  sometimes  some  of  the  boys  do." 

"And  girls?" 

"  There  are  so  few  girls  in  Myer.  There  is  Jane 
Myer,  but  she  is  so  stuck-up.  Mrs.  Lacy  comes  often. 
She  is  a  grass  widow,  and  I  think  she  and  John  Alex 
are  going  to  get  married.  The  Gray  boys  come  once  in 
a  while.  Gee,  I  like  to  have  them  come.  Don  is  so  fine 
and  handsome." 

"  I  think  I  saw  him.  He  brought  the  team  to  the 
depot  for  us,  but  I  did  not  meet  him,"  Myrnie  said. 

"  Gee,  isn't  he  handsome  ?"  Grace  asked,  with  en- 
thusiasm. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?"  was  the  teacher's  innocent  reply. 
228 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  He  is  the  handsomest  man  I  have  ever  seen,  and  his 

girl,  Kate,  is  a  dream." 

"  Tell  me  all  about  Kate,"  Myrnie  said,  striving  to 
conceal  her  anxiety. 

"  Oh,  but  she  is  not  as  pretty  as  you  are,"  little  Milly 
put  in,  "Her  eyes  are  large  and  black,  her  skin  is  dark- 
ish with  pinkish  spots  on  her  cheeks,  and  her  hair  is  as 
black  as  old  Nell's  mane,  but  she  is  not  near  so  pretty 
as  you  are,  is  she,  Grace?" 

"  I  don't  hardly  know,"  Grace  smiled,  speaking 
frankly  as  seemed  to  be  the  way  of  these  people.  "  You 
and  Kate  are  so  different.  She  doesn't  seem  so  fine  as 
you  do;  her  hands  are  not  near  so  nice,  but  her  waist  is 
lots  slimmer,  she  is  slimmer  all  over  and  taller.  I  be- 
lieve you  are  really  prettier.  I  used  to  think  Kate  was 
the  prettiest  girl  in  the  world,  pretty  as  a  face  on  a  cal- 
endar, but  I  believe  your  face  is  sometimes  prettier  than 
any  calendar  face." 

Myrnie  laughed  at  this  and  said,  "  Oh,  you  dear  child," 
and  laid  a  tender  hand  on  her  shoulder.  This  kind  of 
frank  admiration  came  so  naturally  from  these  people 
that  she  could  not  doubt  its  sincerity. 

"  Well,  I  bet  that  you  got  lots  prettier  clothes,"  broke 
in  the  stubborn  Milly,  "I'll  bet  that  trunk  of  yours  is 
plumb  chuck  full  of  beautiful  things.  When  are  you  go- 
ing to  unpack?  May  Grace  and  I  watch  you  unpack?" 

"  I  am  going  to  unpack  this  evening,  and  you  may 
both  watch  me  if  you  will  tell  me  all  about  Kate.  I 
just  love  to  learn  about  other  girls." 

"  Bully !  Goody,  goody !"  Milly  cried,  clapping  her 
hands  and  dancing  around,  but  when  she  turned  her 

229 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

face  toward  the  ranch  house,   she   stood   still  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Oh,  look  yonder !" 

Myrnie  and  Grace  turned  quickly,  and  saw  the  whole 
trough  of  the  valley,  as  it  narrowed  into  Dry  Creek, 
filled  with  a  moving,  dun-colored  mass.  Myrnie's  first 
impression  was  of  muddy  water  rushing  forward,  but  a 
second  glance  and  Grace's  words,  "The  boys  with  the 
cattle,"  told  her  what  it  was. 

"  We  must  run  to  the  house  quick  before  they  bring 
them  to  the  corrals,  for  some  of  them  are  sure  to  refuse 
to  go  into  the  corral  at  once  and  may  run  up  here.  The 
whole  herd  may  get  started  this  way,  and  Papa  said 
there  were  a  lot  of  old  forty-niners  among  them  and 
this  is  no  safe  place  for  us."  And  the  three  girls  ran 
pell-mell,  laughing  and  screaching,  down  the  hill,  and 
came  to  the  house  in  time  for  Grace  to  help  her  mother 
with  the  dinner,  for  the  cowboys,  the  whole  number  of 
them,  were  to  have  dinner  with  Becky  that  day,  another 
custom  and  necessity  of  the  country. 

Myrnie  and  Milly  ran  up-stairs,  where  from  the  win- 
dow they  had  a  good  view  of  the  corrals  and  the  cattle. 
This  way  and  that  the  sea  of  animals  surged,  bellowing 
and  overriding  one  another,  and  raising  a  great  fog  of 
dust  from  under  their  thousands  of  grinding  hoofs, 
which  with  the  yells  and  hallooing  of  the  herders,  pre- 
sented a  particularly  Western  scene — a  picture  now  rap- 
idly passing  away. 

Myrnie  felt  a  great  wave  of  feeling  sweep  over  her, 
being  strangely  moved  and  mystified,  as  every  one  must 
be  when  he  first  beholds  a  great  herd  of  cattle,  and  she 
remembered  Mrs.  Moore's  words,  "Broadens  a  body's 
mind  to  understand  cattle." 

230 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Finally  the  herd  was  packed  in  the  great  main  corral, 
where  they  moved  about  incessantly.  Round  and  round 
they  milled,  throwing  up  their  heads  in  complaint  against 
this  infringement  of  their  freedom  and  natural  rights. 

The  cowboys  came  stringing  to  the  house  for  dinner, 
and  Myrnie  heard  one  of  them  call  out,  "  Come  on  boys, 
to  the  big  feed  and  get  on  the  outside  of  your  dinner. 
There  is  lots  of  work  to-day  and  no  time  to  squander 
feeding  your  faces.  What's  the  matter  with  you,  John? 
Have  you  gone  back  on  your  hash?" 

"  Not  me,"  answers  John  Alexander,  whom  they  gen- 
erally call  John  Alex  for  short.  "I  can  always  bank  on 
Becky;  she  is  sure  to  be  there  with  the  goods." 

They  washed  their  faces  and  hands  in  tin  wash-basins 
which  stood  on  a  long  bench,  dried  the  same  on  long 
roller  towels  that  hung  by  a  fly-specked  mirror  and 
comb-case  on  the  porch,  flecked  the  dust  from  their 
clothes  with  their  hats,  which  they  threw  on  the  porch 
floor.  Slouching  into  their  places  at  the  long,  well-filled 
table,  they  fell  to  eating  with  a  peculiar  elation,  for  had 
they  not  heard  of  the  new  school-mistress,  who,  as  the 
story  went,  was  prettier  than  any  calendar  face?  There 
were  several  Mexicans  among  these  cowboys,  and  these 
left  handprints  of  dirt  on  the  towels,  being,  as  Sour- 
Dough  Wilson  expressed  it,  "afraid  of  water." 

While  the  hungry  cowboys  munched  their  savory 
dinner,  Myrnie  and  Milly  ran  away  to  the  corrals  to  see 
the  cattle.  Milly  fearlessly  climbed  to  the  top  of  the 
fence,  but  Myrnie  stood  some  distance  away,  timidly 
watching  the  herd  of  impetuous  animals  as  they  circled 
round  and  round,  never  weary  of  seeking  some  way  of 
egress,  now  staring  up  at  dauntless  Milly  standing 

231 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

calmly  on  the  top  tail  of  the  high  fence,  clinging  to  a 
post,  still  higher,  while  now  and  then  some  infuriated, 
long-horned  monster  plunged  upward  at  her,  shaking 
the  whole  corral  with  his  huge  bulk,  as  though  an  earth- 
quake visited  the  place.  At  such  times,  Myrnie,  though 
brave  as  she  naturally  was,  quaked  from  head  to  foot, 
and  begged  Milly  to  come  down,  but  the  little  girl  only 
laughed  at  her  fears,  and  seemed  to  like  nothing  better 
than  to  torment  the  untamed  creatures  by  imitating 
their  bellows  and  waving  her  red  apron  at  them. 

Meanwhile  the  hungry  cowboys  were  on  the  tip-toe 
of  eager  expectation  to  see  the  young  lady.  They  craned 
their  sinewy  necks  this  way  and  that  if  they  heard  a 
footstep  in  the  adjoining  room,  or  looked  out  of  the 
windows  in  hopes  of  getting  a  glimpse  of  her.  Each  from 
sympathy  understood  the  desire  uppermost  in  the  heart 
of  the  other,  and  some  one  invariably  called  out,  "rub- 
ber" to  the  one  who  looked  about,  and  this  brought 
about  a  great  roar  of  laughter,  for  the  word  was  new  at 
that  time. 

Seated  there  were  Sour-Dough  Wilson,  a  man  of 
thirty  years,  famed  for  the  excellent  sour-dough  bis- 
cuits he  made  while  on  the  rodeo;  Doc  Manhart,  so 
called  because  he  performed  successful  operations  on 
chickens,  cutting  their  crops 'open  with  a  razor  and  pull- 
ing the  grasshoppers  out  with  his  fingers,  when  the 
gluttonous  birds  filled  their  craws  so  full  that  they  would 
not  digest,  and  sewing  the  rent  up  with  a  needle  and 
white  cotton  thread;  it  was  said  that  he  had  never  lost 
a  case.  Doc  was  custodian  at  I.  T.  Steward's  copper 
mine  on  the  crest  of  Iron  Mountain,  but  he  always  spent 
a  few  days  with  the  boys  on  the  rodeo  for  the  sake  of 

232 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

good-fellowship.  Then  came  Awk  and  Dug  Bremister, 
brothers  of  the  beautiful  Kate,  John  Alexander,  bach- 
elor from  Tonto  Basin,  and  Eshler  Morgan,  husband  to 
Lucy.  Then  there  was  George  Overwhacker,  little  and 
dried  and  grizzled,  living  on  the  Barba  Coma  ranch 
with  his  dark  senora  and  dusky  race  of  seven  halfbreed 
"muchachos,"  and  Mexican  Charley  and  two  other  Mex- 
icans who  shared  equally  with  the  white  men.  Besides 
these  there  were  Silvertip,  so  named  because  his  locks 
were  prematurely  gray,  the  Corkonian,  the  Terror  of 
Dublin  and  the  Three-cornered  Kid,  cowboys  from  the 
great  O.  R.  ranch,  which  covers  so  many  acres  that  they 
say  the  children  go  out  to  milk  the  cows  and  come  home 
years  afterward  with  full  buckets,  gray-headed  men  and 
women. 

"  Becky,  where  is  that  new  kid-puncher  ?"  Eshler 
called  out  in  his  thin,  piping  voice.  "Don't  she  know 
that  these  cow-punchers  can't  eat  their  dinners  for  want- 
ing to  see  her?" 

"  You  bet  that  is  right,"  Silvertip  put  in.  "Haw,  haw, 
haw!"  and  they  all  set  up  a  laugh,  as  a  group  of  men 
can  do  on  the  least  provocation. 

"  Well,  now,  you  listen  to  me,  boys,"  Becky  Moore's 
soft  voice  pleaded,  "  I  want  you  fellers  to  be  mighty  care- 
ful how  you  meet  that  girl ;  she  is  not  just  like  the  girls 
you  are  used  to,  she  is  so  tender  and  refined,  and  I  am 
sure  that  we  all  seem  rough  to  her.  She  is  just  a  tender 
flower,  and  if  you  hammerheads  do  not  go  darned  slow, 
you  will  frighten  her  out  of  the  country,  and  we  want 
to  keep  her,  she  is  too  good  to  lose."  Becky  was  shak- 
ing a  hard,  knotty  fist  at  them  as  she  finished. 

"  Wouldn't  that  curl  your  liver  ? "  Awk  Bremister 
233 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

flashed  up,  but  just  then  they  all  grew  very  circumspect. 
A  sweet  cheerful  laugh  rang  out  very  near  the  door,  and 
sent  the  warm  blood  tingling  through  all  their  veins. 
Myrnie  and  Millie  were  coming  in  from  the  corrals,  and 
were  having  some  rare  kind  of  fun.  She  came  in  at  the 
front  door,  crossed  the  long  living-room  and  entered  her 
own  chamber,  and  every  eye  beheld  her.  Her  glorious 
hair  was  wind-blown  and  partly  fallen  down  in  dis- 
orderly confusion ;  her  soft,  white,  muslin  gown  with  its 
short  sleeves  reminded  them  of  a  summer  cloud,  and  the 
spicy  fragrance  of  rare  perfumes  floated  to  the  keenly 
trained  nostrils  of  these  rustic  fellows.  She  looked  so 
sweet  and  clean  to  them,  and  brought  to  the  honest  and 
unsophisticated  heart  of  each,  a  revelation  of  something 
higher  and  better  than  anything  they  had  ever  known. 
The  effect  produced  was  to  sober  them ;  they  looked  into 
their  plates  and  ate  morosely  and  thoughtfully,  not  a 
word  being  spoken  among'  them  to  the  close  of  the  meal 
except  a  droll,  "Chase  the  cow  up  this  way,  Eshler,"  or 
"I'd  like  some  hen-fruit,"  or  "I  think  I  will  try  one  of 
those  fried  holes,"  or  "There,  freeze  on  to  that."  Each 
felt  some  holier  thought  stirring  within  him — man's  in- 
stinctive love  for  the  good  and  pure  in  women. 

When  the  meal  was  finished  and  they  passed  outside 
and  took  up  their  labor  again  amongst  the  practical  af- 
fairs, they  fell  back  into  their  wanton  ways,  and,  much 
to  the  embarrassment  of  Becky's  shielding  desire,  Myr- 
nie heard  some  one  call  out  in  a  loud  voice : 

"  Hey  there,  George,  you  damned  Hassayamper,  bring 
back  my  hat.  I  have  no  use  for  this  louse  cage  of 
yourn." 

Myrnie  spent  the  afternoon  in  unpacking,  much  to  the- 

234 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

delight  of  Becky  and  the  two  girls.  So  many  things  had 
to  be  explained,  and  every  article  examined,  that  the 
whole  afternoon  was  thus  consumed.  When  they  had 
seen  all  her  clothes,  they  thought  her  more  wonderful 
and  grand  than  ever. 

The  cattle  had  been  separated,  and  the  cowboys  had 
driven  them  away,  all  except  Bob's  steers,  which  were 
to  be  driven  to  Myer  on  the  morrow  and  shipped.  These, 
a  great  herd  within  themselves,  had  been  left  in  the  cor- 
ral, and  Myrnie  fell  asleep  that  night  lulled  by  the  sound 
of  their  bellowing,  rolling  and  re-echoing  in  different 
tones,  like  the  opening  sounds  of  a  great  stringed  or- 
chestra, testing  and  tuning  the  instruments. 


235 


CHAPTER  III. 


first  day  of  school  was  one  of  those  fine  crystal 
days  of  early  September,  such  as  would  set  the  mind 
of  even  the  most  practical  dreaming  of  his  own  van- 
ished school  days.  But  this  first  day  of  school  at  Browns 
Springs  was  so  unique  in  character,  that  Myrnie  could 
make  no  comparison  between  it  and  the  school  days  of 
her  own  childhood. 

She  walked  over  the  hill  that  morning  before  the  sun 
had  crept  down  the  mountain  sides  and  into  all  the 
canyons  and  hollows,  in  a  fever  of  enthusiastic  interest. 
Where  is  the  teacher  who  did  not  feel  this  same  impulse 
on  the  first  day  of  school  ?  She  placed  her  books  on  her 
desk,  and  went  outside  to  sit  on  the  step  to  await  the 
arrival  of  her  pupils.  Here  a  great  sense  of  loneliness 
crept  over  her — such  a  long  time  it  seemed  before  any- 
one appeared.  She  was  beginning  to  think  that  she 
should  be  compelled  to  teach  the  empty  benches,  when 
they  commenced  to  flock  in  from  different  directions. 
From  over  the  top  of  a  barren  hill  to  the  left  she  saw  a 
boy  on  horseback  riding  toward  her,  and  as  he  passed 
over  the  summit,  his  form  in  relief  against  the  vast  space 
of  clear  sky,  he  loomed  so  large  and  gruesome  that  it 
sent  a  thrill  of  horror  through  her.  From  behind  her 
Moore's  four  came  stringing  down  the  hill.  Winnie 

236 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Collins,  a  girl  of  fourteen,  emerged  suddenly  from  the 
mouth  of  a  ravine  near  by,  as  though  she  had  come  out 
of  the  earth.  Seth  Bailey,  adopted  child  of  the  eccentric 
Jim,  came  galloping  up  on  a  frowsly  burro,  and  the 
three  grandchildren  of  Aunt  Sally  Wilson  stood  before 
Myrnie,  smiling  up  into  her  face,  and  she  did  not  know 
from  what  quarter  they  had  come. 

A  mile  or  more  away  the  teacher  observed  a  peculiar 
looking  moving  object  coming  slowly  round  the  curved 
slope  of  Brown's  Hill.  As  it  drew  nearer,  the  teacher 
made  it  out  to  be  a  two- wheeled  cart,  drawn  by  two 
burros,  the  cart  containing  the  progeny  of  George  Over- 
whacker  and  his  Mexican  spouse. 

No  house,  no  sign  of  civilization  could  be  seen  in  any 
direction.  Nothing  but  the  gray,  misty  desert  valley 
stretching  away  to  meet  the  still  grayer  and  more  misty 
mountains,  and  the  red  tower-like  hills  that  stood  nearer. 
Myrnie  sent  up  a  prayer  of  thanks  for  these  trees  and 
this  spring  with  its  meadow.  Here  was  a  little  rest  to 
the  tired  eyes  of  those  who  looked  over  the  naked 
country.  It  seemed  to  Myrnie  that  these  children  had 
sprung  from  the  heart  of  the  desert,  and  were  making 
their  pilgrimage  to  the  altar  of  her  knowledge,  in  a 
crude  attempt  to  wipe  away  the  illiteracy  of  their  wild 
country. 

The  new  teacher  greeted  these  children  in  her  natural, 
pleasant  way,  asking  them  their  names,  and  they  felt  at 
home  with  her  at  once.  The  big  boy  who  came  on  horse- 
back told  her  that  he  had  ridden  eight  miles  from  the 
Hassayampa  river,  that  his  name  was  Ora  Pitner,  and 
that  this  was  the  first  year  in  three  that  he  had  been  able 

237 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

to  attend  school  because  he  had  herded  his  mother's 
sheep  for  the  last  two  years. 

A  few  minutes  before  nine  o'clock  the  two-wheeled 
cart  came  jolting  over  the  rocks  and  drew  up  at  the  door. 
Josephine  Overwhacker  long  and  slim  and  lean  as  all 
Mexican  girls  are,  climbed  nimbly  from  the  awkward 
cart  and  greeted  the  teacher  with  a  pleased  smile  on  her 
dark  face,  but  she  did  not  give  the  lines  over  to  her 
brother  Eddy  who  sat  on  the  seat  with  her,  for  Yosie 
(which  is  the  Mexican  pronounciation  of  her  name  and 
universally  used)  was  a  horsewoman  by  instinct;  she 
cared  for  the  burros  herself. 

At  first  Myrnie  thought  the  cart  contained  but  these 
two  persons,  but  on  looking  around  quickly,  she  caught 
a  fleeting  glimpse  of  three  black  heads  and  three  pairs 
of  round  black  eyes  peering  over  the  dashboard  at  her. 
When  the  three  little  images  saw  that  she  beheld  them, 
they  ducked  down  instantly,  and  when  she  stepped  up 
to  the  cart  to  make  their  acquaintance,  the  three  mu- 
chachos  huddled  together  in  a  brown  heap  on  the  floor 
of  the  cart,  and  no  coaxing,  either  from  Myrnie  or 
Yosie,  could  induce  them  to  raise  their  heads. 

Presently  Yosie's  black  eyes  began  to  flash,  she  gath- 
ered up  a  handfull  of  small  switches,  and  before  anyone 
could  prevent  the  act,  was  fiercely  switching  the  bare 
legs  of  the  little  half-breeds,  at  the  same  time  pouring 
forth  a  volley  of  fluent  Mexican  profanity.  At  this  they 
sprang  from  the  cart  and  ran  away  like  young  quail, 
hiding  themselves  behind  the  school-house,  whither  Myr- 
nie followed,  determined  to  conquer  their  fear  of  her. 
She  was  none  too  soon,  however,  the  last  one  had  all 
but  crept  under  the  school-house  and  beyond  the  reach 

238 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  any  grown  person.  Finally  Myrnie,  aided  and 
abetted  by  Yosie  and  Eddie,  persuaded  them  into  a 
degree  of  tameness,  but  it  was  considered  safer  by  Yosie 
to  close  up  the  opening  under  the  house,  which  she  and 
Eddie  did,  piling  it  full  of  stones. 

Nine  o'clock  came,  and  Myrnie  rang  the  bell  joyously 
— if  this  bell  could  be  made  to  so  ring.  It  was  a  home- 
made affair,  having  been  constructed  of  the  cone-like 
tin  vessel  from  a  top  of  a  heating  stove,  with  a  wooden 
handle  fastened  to  it,  and  a  short  bolt  tied  in  by  a  string 
for  a  clapper.  When  Myrnie  gave  this  to  Bob  Moore 
and  asked  him  to  buy  her  a  new  school-bell,  he  laughed 
a  good  deal,  and  said  it  seemed  to  him  that  she  was 
getting  too  particular  and  was  teaching  the  kids  high- 
toned  tricks;  but  the  next  time  he  went  to  town,  he 
bought  a  bell  of  which  even  she  could  not  complain. 

The  dignity  of  the  opening  of  the  school  was  greatly 
impugned  by  the  bashful  obstinacy  of  the  three  younger 
Overwhackers,  who  had  never  been  to  school  before, 
and  who  made  repeated  attempts  to  escape,  bolting  for 
the  door  on  each  occasion.  Aside  from  this  the  day  was  a 
great  success,  and  Myrnie  was  made  happy  in  the  after- 
noon by  receiving  her  mail. 

Winnie  Collins  had  left  the  room,  and  was  about  to 
return  when  a  man  on  horseback  called  out  to  her,  "Hey 
there,  Winnie,  you  tell  that  teacher  that  I  want  to  see 
her." 

"  Doc  Manhart  is  out  here,  teacher,  and  wants  to  see 
you/'  Winnie  said  as  she  came  back  into  the  room. 

Myrnie  went  to  the  door  to  find  that  gentleman  sitting 
calmly  on  his  horse,  shuffling  over  a  number  of  letters. 

239 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Bet  I  got  what  you  want  pretty  bad,"  he  said  with 
no  word  of  introduction. 

"  My  mail,"  Myrnie  exclaimed.  "  Oh,  yes,  I  have  had 
no  mail  for  four  days." 

"Us  fellers  out  here  don't  get  ourn  but  once  a  week, 
but  with  school  misses  I  guess  it's  different,  especially 
when  she  gets  five  letters  at  once  and  three  of  them  in 
the  same  hand-write.  Guess  you  got  that  feller  goin' 
east  instead  of  south.  Here's  one  of  his  letters  mailed 
at  Denver,  one  at  Chicago  and  one  at  Buffalo.  You  got 
him  buffaloed  sure."  He  handed  her  the  letters,  but  she 
made  no  reply  to  his  remarks,  simply  thanked  him  a 
little  indignantly,  and  went  back  into  the  school-house. 

Later,  when  school  was  out  and  the  children  had  gone 
home,  Myrnie  still  lingered,  reading  her  letters  and 
thinking  of  the  man  whom,  Doc  Manhart  said  she  had 
going  east  instead  of  south,  when  she  heard  a  step  on 
the  threshold,  and  looking  up,  she  recognized  the  glow- 
ing face  of  Grin. 

"  Hello  there,  pardner,"  he  called  out  by  way  of  greet- 
ing. "How  is  school  teachin'  among  the  hammerheads 
and  Hassayampers  ?" 

"Fine,  thank  you,  Mr.  Oliver,  how  are  you?"  she 
asked. 

"  Oh,  I'm  about  as  well  off  as  you  could  expect  a 
philosopher  to  be  in  a  money-loving  world.  You  see 
I  thought  I'd  come  down  and  chat  with  you  for  awhile 
to  keep  you  cheered  up.  Hope  I  don't  smell  bad,  but  I 
killed  one  of  them  essence  peddlers  on  my  way  down." 

"  What  is  an  essence  peddler  ?"  she  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Well,  if  you  want  me  to  speak  plainer,  I  can.  It's 
a  skunk.  I  left  the  sheep  with  Seth  Bailey  just  over  the 

240 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ridge  there.  I've  got  a  pretty  good-sized  interest  in  you 
since  I  was  the  means  by  which  you  got  here,  and  since 
you  and  I  are  both  full-blooded  orphans." 

"  Are  your  parents  dead  too  ?" 

"  Yes ;  my  father  died  of  chokation.  He  was  a  great 
booze-fighter,  and  was  pulling  a  cork  out  of  a  beer-bottle 
with  his  teeth  over  at  Joe's  one  night,  and  the  cork  flew 
into  his  throat  and  choked  him  to  death  and  no  one  knew 
anything  about  it  till  morning.  It  was  a  good  thing,  I 
guess,  for  I  think  he  died  to  keep  from  going  to  the  pen. 
My  mother  was  a  full-blooded  idiot.  She  lived  in  fear 
and  horror  of  the  insane  asylum.  Her  own  mother  and 
grandmother  before  her  died  there.  Mother  died  a 
short  time  after  father  went.  We  never  did  know  what 
took  her  off;  she  just  laid  down  and  died  one  day. 
Guess  she  died  to  keep  from  going  to  the  insane  asylum. 
I  got  one  sister ;  she  lives  in  New  York  and  is  a  virtuoso, 
gives  concerts  in  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House." 

"  How  very  sad,"  Myrnie  responded. 

"  No,  it's  not  sad.  I've  been  better  off  without  my 
parents.  Reckon  that  is  cruel,  but  ambition  is  purely 
selfish  you  know." 

"  Then  your  parents  stood  in  the  way  of  your  am- 
bition?" 

"  Yes,  to  some  extent  they  did.  My  aim  is  to  be  rich, 
big  rich.  But  I'm  not  a  miser  like  Jim  Bailey.  That 
man  never  sleeps.  If  he  makes  a  dollar  he  lays  awake 
all  night  to  tickle  himself  over  it,  and  if  he  loses  a  dollar 
he  lays  awake  to  kick  himself,  and  between  the  two  he 
gets  no  sleep.  Supporting  father  and  giving  him  booze 
money  was  the  only  way  I  could  keep  him  from  stealing 
his  living  and  going  to  the  pen.  My  mother  was  an  aw- 

241 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ful  saintly,  good  woman.  I  take  after  my  mother.  But 
I  mean  to  be  rich.  I've  got  some  good  copper  claims 
up  in  the  gulch  that  are  going  to  make  me  rich.  Just 
now  I  am  trying  to  find  a  suitable  name  for  them.  Every 
mine  has  got  to  have  the  right  name,  or  it  sure  is 
hoodooed.  Now  that's  one  of  the  things  I've  laid  awake 
in  the  night  and  dreamed  about." 

By  this  time  Myrnie  and  Grin  were  half  way  home, 
for  he  would  go  with  her  to  chase  away  the  centipedes, 
Gila  monsters,  coyotes  and  rattlesnakes,  or  anything 
like  that,  he  said. 

"  Now  I'll  tell  you  what  is  fine,"  Grin  proceeded  as 
they  climbed  the  hill,"  and  that  is  living  up  at  the  sum- 
mer  sheep  camp.  It's  a  heap  better  than  city  life,  to  my 
notion.  I'll  take  you  up  there  next  May  when  we  open 
camp.  We  can  do  as  we  dern  please  up  there;  eat  with 
our  knives,  saucer  our  coffee  and  have  a  hell  of  a  good 
time.  You  can  go  about  with  your  shoes  untied  and 
your  face  unwashed,  and  you  won't  have  to  comb  your 
hair  from  one  day's  end  to  another.  But  the  best  part 
is  when  the  ewes  get  to  lambin'.  You  see  when  a  lamb 
is  born  it  has  to  be  put  to  its  mother,  and  I'll  tell  you, 
sister,  along  in  May  the  lambs  get  to  comin'  so  fast  that 
it  keeps  you  on  the  jump.  The  ewes  are  droppin' 
'em  all  around  you  till  you  are  busier  than  a  cranberry 
merchant.  Gee  whiz !  That  is  life.  When  a  feller  has 
lived  like  that,  he  sure  knows  life." 

Myrnie  was  laughing  to  herself  all  the  evening  and 
when  she  was  questioned  repeatedly  about  it,  she  only 
laughed  more  and  said  she  could  not  afford  to  tell.  She 
was  destined  yet  to  make  another  blunder  in  her  eager 

242 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

desire  to  learn  all  things.  After  supper  she  accosted 
Bob  Moore  and  said: 

"  Mr.  Moore,  I  have  heard  you  folks  use  the  word 
hammerhead  so  often,  and  I  do  not  think  I  know  what 
it  means  unless  it  is  a  kind  of  yellow-headed  bird." 

This  was  ducks  for  mischievous  Bob  as  well  as  for 
the  rest  of  the  family.  They  laughed,  as  they  seemed 
to  so  love  to  do  when  people  made  blunders. 

"  Yes,  hammerheads  are  yellar-headed  birds  by  a 
damn  sight,"  Bob  snorted,  and  left  the  house  over- 
powered, and  again  Becky  had  to  explain. 

"  I  guess  you  are  thinking  of  yellow-hammer,  that  is 
a  kind  of  yellow  bird.  Hammerhead  is  a  word  of  our 
own  coinage.  We  are  indebted  to  Grin  Oliver  for  that 
word,  for  he  is  the  man  who  coined  it.  It  simply  means 
cattle  people — a  nickname  for  them." 

A  few  days  later  a  bunch  of  the  cowboys  accosted 
Grin  as  he  sat  on  a  rock  watching  his  flocks  feed  leis- 
urely in  the  valley  below. 

"Hello,  Grin,  workin'  at  our  trade?"  Dug  Bremister 
called  out  to  him. 

"  Sure,  Dug.  My  cart-wheels  are  pilin'  up  as  I  sit 
here  on  this  rock  philosophizing." 

"  We  hear  you  have  made  a  mash  on  the  school 
mistress,"  John  Alexander  called  out  to  him. 

"  That  is  what  I  expected  to  do,"  Grin  threw  back  at 
them,  elated.  "There's  my  future  wife,  says  I  to  my- 
self the  minute  I  cast  eyes  on  her."  At  this  the  cowboys 
roared. 

"All  right,  you  fellers  can  laugh,  but  I  will  get  that 
girl,  and  you  will  see  the  day.  I  am  a  psychic,  I  can  tell 
things.  That  is  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your  face."  Here 

243 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  boys  went  wild  again,  tossing  up  their  hats  and  firing 
their  revolvers. 

"  Who  are  you,  anyway,  Grin  ?"  Silvertip  asked. 

"  That's  just  it.  You  fellers  don't  know  who  I  am. 
Some  of  these  fine  days  you  are  going  to  find  out  who 
you  have  been  running  around  with  all  these  years  and 
then  you  are  going  to  feel  proud  of  yourselves  and  that 
is  what  I  say." 

More  laughter  from  the  cowboys,  and  Doc  Manhart 
called  out,  "I'll  tell  you  what  you  are,  Grin.  You  are 
just  common  crazy,  bug-house,  nutty,  in  other  words 
locoed.  Didn't  you  ever  hear  that  a  sheep  herder  is 
doomed  if  he  stays  with  his  flocks  long  enough?  You've 
been  with  yours  five  years  now.  Pretty  soon  you  will 
be  saying  'baa,  baa,'  and  feeding  with  the  nannies  all 
day  long." 

At  this  Grin  jumped  from  his  seat  and  commenced  to 
throw  stones  at  his  tormentors,  but  was  pacified  by 
John  Alexander,  who  called  out,  that  they  wanted  him  to 
ride  over  the  country  to  invite  everybody  to  a  dance  at 
Eshler's  hall  a  week  from  Friday  night  being  as  he  was 
so  smooth  of  speech  and  able  to  put  things  in  the  right 
way. 

"  Sure  thing,"  responded  Grin,  growing  enthusiastic 
again,  and  forgetting  the  insults  as  he  always  did. 

"  I'll  be  there  with  my  voyleen,"  he  assured  them. 

"  Yes,  we  want  you  to  play,  Grin,  so  we  fellers  can 
have  a  better  show  with  the  new  kid-puncher.  Not  one 
of  us  have  met  her  yet." 

"Well,  what's  the  matter  of  you  fellers?"  Grin  asked, 
proudly. 

"  Oh,  we've  tried  hard  enough  to  meet  her,  but  she 
244 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

is  shy  to  meet.  She  is  like  your  sheep,  Grin,  she  will 
scatter." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  any  of  you  hammerheads  beatin* 
me  with — "  he  began,  proudly,  but  before  he  could  finish 
the  sentence,  the  cowboys  could  not  be  seen  for  the 
cloud  of  dust  their  ponies  were  making  as  they  sped 
across  the  desert. 

The  days  preceding  the  dance  fairly  flew.  There  was 
so  much  to  be  done;  new  dresses  to  be  made  for  girls 
and  women,  new  suits  to  be  purchased  among  the  men, 
for  each  cowboy  was  bound  to  appear  his  best.  All  the 
neighborhood  was  in  such  a  stir  over  the  affair,  as 
scarcely  could  be  imagined.  Grin  had  spent  two  days 
on  Doc  Manhart's  swift  horse,  riding  like  mad  over  a 
radius  of  thirty  miles,  inviting  all  those  he  met  without 
exception,  sending  word  to  others,  and  dropping  notes 
to  those  inaccessible,  holding  out  as  an  inducement  that 
the  new  school-teacher  would  be  there;  and  this  was 
sufficient,  as  Grin  intuitively  supposed,  to  set  all  riding 
post  haste  in  the  direction  of  Eshler's  Hall  on  that  pro- 
spective night. 


245 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MYRNIE  went  to  the  dance  with  Moore's  family,  hav- 
ing refused  several  invitations  sent  (through  Becky 
Moore)  from  young  men  whom  she  had  not  met,  Doc 
Manhart  being  one  of  the  most  urgent  of  these. 

The  girl's  heart  beat  eagerly  as  she  entered  the  long, 
rough  hall,  decorated  profusely  with  evergreens,  and 
lighted  as  brightly  as  oil  lamps  could  light  it.  There 
was  plenty  of  bustle  and  business  inside,  several  young 
fellows  walking  about  the  room  whittling  candles  on  the 
floor,  which  already  shone  with  slickness.  Some  were 
clearing  away  benches  and  stools  from  the  middle  of 
the  room,  and  others  were  busy  tending  the  lamps,  refill- 
ing them,  and  cleaning  the  globes. 

To  this  moving  herd  of  men,  women  and  children, 
Myrnie  seemed  the  main  object  of  interest.  The  cow- 
boys and  sheep-herders  stood  in  groups  outside,  rolling 
cigarettes  and  bantering  one  another.  From  their  dark 
corners  of  vantage,  they  could  look  inside,  through  open 
doors  and  windows,  without  being  seen  by  those  at 
whom  they  wished  to  stare. 

Since  Myrnie  had  taken  up  her  life  among  these 
people,  their  world  had  become  her  world,  their  interests 
her  interests.  Fred  Harmon  seemed  like  a  dream  to  her 
to-night — far  away  and  vague,  and  her  reality  was  this 

246 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

lighted  hall,  these  people  and  this  wonderful  new  life  in 
this  lotus  land  of  charm.  She  had  received  bundles  of 
letters  from  Fred  once  or  twice  a  week,  when  some  one 
was  kind  enough  to  bring  her  mail  to  her,  letters  till  she 
grew  tired  reading  them,  for  he  wrote  her  almost  every 
day  such  outpourings  of  love,  till  it  all  sounded  alike 
to  her.  She  sometimes  forgot  to  read  these  letters  for 
a  half  day.  The  curious  eyes  of  the  whole  neighborhood 
managed  to  see  some  of  these  letters  she  received,  all  in 
the  same  "handwrite,"  and  Lucy  Morgan  declared  it 
was  a  man's  "handwrite"  and  jumped  at  the  conclusion 
that  she  was  engaged  to  "so  some  rich  feller  that  trav- 
eled," and  told  it  about  for  a  certainty. 

Myrnie  answered  these  letters  sometimes,  of  an  even- 
ing when  her  isolation  brought  memories  of  him,  but  her 
letters  were  no  such  outpourings  as  were  the  ones  she  re- 
ceived. She  gave  these  letters  to  her  friends  to  mail  for 
her,  and  in  no  time,  everybody  was  familiar  with  his 
name.  However,  on  this  evening,  the  thought  of  him, 
indistinct  as  it  had  grown  to  be,  vanished  quickly.  She 
was  searching  the  crowd  for  a  face  she  had  hoped  to 
meet,  and  when  she  did  not  find  that  face,  her  heart  and 
her  enthusiasm  fell  a  little.  Still  she  thought  he  might 
be  outside  or  that  he  would  arrive  later,  and  she  took 
new  courage  hanging  to  this  hope.  What  she  did  see, 
however,  was  women  with  their  tanned  faces  wreathed 
in  smiles,  in  anticipation  of  tfie  pleasure  before  them,  as 
they  dwelt  on  neighborhood  topics ;  these  had  their  chil- 
dren with  them — some  mere  infants.  Their  husbands 
were  there  with  an  attempt  at  dress — high-heeled  boots 
under  cheap,  striped,  high-water  trousers,  coats  too 
short  for  them,  especially  in  the  back,  home-laundered 

247 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

collars  that  soon  showed  signs  of  wilting,  and  every  var- 
iety of  ties. 

Cowboys  and  sheep-herders  were  plentiful,  with  wide- 
brimmed  sombreros,  white  or  red  handkerchiefs  about 
their  necks  and  black  store-clothes  cut  several  years 
behind  the  times.  Such  as  these  were  shod  in  dancing 
pumps.  A  number  of  these  played  on  mouth-organs  with 
all  the  frills  and  accompaniments,  as  though  it  were  a 
great  accomplishment. 

The  young  ladies  were  there  in  home-made  dresses, 
much  bedecked  with  bows  of  ribbon,  ruffles  and  lace. 
Myrnie  was  dressed  in  a  sheer  white  organdy,  but  she 
noticed  that  the  prevailing  color  among  these  girls  was 
pink.  Rather  pretty  they  looked,  she  thought,  though 
they  were  what  is  generally  called  "tacky"  by  the  well 
dressed. 

The  new  teacher  received  a  long  line  of  introductions 
and  felt  herself  fairly  initiated  into  the  circle.  The  or- 
chestra marched  in  and  took  its  place  on  a  high  platform 
at  one  end  of  the  room,  being  composed  of  Grin  with  his 
"voyleen,"  who  took  his  place  proudly,  his  socks  beam- 
ing white  between  black  trousers  and  dancing  pumps; 
Mexican  Charley  carried  a  guitar,  and  Lucy  Morgan, 
long  and  slim  and  red-headed,  took  her  place  at  the  old- 
fashioned  organ. 

The  first  dance  was  called  out  in  as  loud  voice  as  Esh- 
ler  Morgan  could  muster,  for  the  honor  of  being  floor 
manager  fell  to  him,  and  the  players  struck  up  with 
"Pretty  Little  Men  in  Sandyland,"  and  the  hammer- 
heads made  a  man  rush  for  "pardners."  Several  of  them 
butted  into  Myrnie  with  their  "Will  you  please  exist  me 
in  this  dance,"  but  Myrnie  had  promised  her  first  dance 

248 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

to  Bob  Moore,  or  rather  she  had  made  him  promise  to 
lead  her  in  the  first  dance. 

When  the  couples  were  in  place  for  four  sets,  away 
they  went  in  an  "All  join  hands  and  circle  to  the  left/' 
like  the  stampede  of  cattle  with  which  they  were  wont 
to  deal  daily,  environment  having  so  great  an  influence, 
but  every  heart  was  tuned  to  a  seraphic  harp  on  which 
an  angel  played.  Myrnie  came  out  of  this  warm  and 
flushed  and  smiling,  only  to  rush  headlong  into  a  waltz, 
for  she  could  no  longer  escape  the  onslaughts  of  the 
hammerheads. 

Strange  that  none  of  the  other  girls  grew  jealous  of 
her  raging  popularity.  Instead  they  stood  about  in 
groups  and  discussed  her  in  whispers.  "  Isn't  her  hair 
just  sweet?  I  think  I  can  do  mine  like  that.  I  am  going 
to  try  to-morrow/'  Or :  "I  wonder  how  that  dress  is 
fixed  there  in  the  back,"  or  "Ain't  she  just  nice  and 
clever?  Not  one  bit  stuck-up."  They  took  it  for 
granted  that  she  should  take  precedence  over  them,  and 
were  quite  satisfied  to  take  second  place. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  two  Bremister  boys  came,  ac- 
companied by  a  brunette  whom  Myrnie  knew  at  once 
to  be  Kate.  How  like  the  apotheosis  of  night  she  looked 
in  her  black  gown,  her  fine  black  eyes  and  her  raven 
hair  glittering  with  jeweled  combs.  Myrnie  was  fright- 
ened a  little  when  she  saw  how  really  beautiful  Kate 
was.  Kate  espied  Myrnie  at  once,  and  the  glances  of 
the  two  girls  as  they  met  for  the  first  time  were  like  two 
swords  that  clash  in  the  crossing. 

Kate  rushed  up  to  the  majority  of  the  women  and 
girls  present  and  presented  them  with  a  kiss.  She  met 
Myrnie  very  coolly,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  two  girls 

249 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

liked  each  other  better  "on  further  acquaintance,"  for 
they  spent  a  part  of  their  spare  time  conversing,  and 
Kate  confided  to  Myrnie,  "  We  should  not  have  been  so 
late  had  we  not  waited  for  Don  Gray,  whom  I  naturally 
expected  would  come  for  me,  but  I  received  word 
through  Grin  that  Don  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and 
has  a  badly  sprained  ankle/' 

However,  before  midnight  the  dark,  handsome  face 
of  Don  Gray  appeared  at  an  open  window.  Myrnie  was 
the  first  to  behold  him,  and  the  effect  was  that  of  an 
electric  shock  to  her.  He  was  looking  squarely  at  her, 
and  the  influence  of  his  eyes  set  her  heart  going  like 
a  trip-hammer.  Her  first  act  was  to  glance  around  to 
see  where  Kate  was,  and  finding  that  she  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen,  she  frankly  returned  the  smile  he  gave  her, 
and  thus  they  met  without  an  introduction. 

The  face  disappeared  from  the  window,  but  presently 
she  heard  a  soft  voice  say  behind  her,  "  How  is  life 
among  the  hammerheads?"  She  turned  to  find  Don 
leaning  on  the  window-sill  behind  her. 

"Oh,"  she  said,  "  I  heard  that  you  was  thrown  from 
your  horse  and  could  not  come." 

"  Yes,  that  reached  your  ears  soon  enough.  I'll  wager, 
but  my  horses  never  threw  me.  That  is  one  good  way 
of  getting  out  of  doing  a  thing  you  do  not  want  to  do. 
My  foot  is  as  well  as  that  of  our  nimble  friend's  over 
there,"  and  the  white,  even  teeth  gleamed  pleasantly 
between  the  clean  lips  as  he  smiled. 

Myrnie  looked  toward  the  platform  in  the  end  of 
the  room  to  see  Grin  dancing  a  lively  jig  while  Bob 
Moore  played  for  him,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  house. 
Kate  was  to  be  seen  nowhere. 

250 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Why  did  you  come  ?    You  can't  dance/'  she  asked. 

"  Thought  I  might  have  one  waltz  on  the  sly,  and 
that  is  all  I  care  for,"  he  told  her. 

"  I  feel  sure  Kate  will  accommodate  you,"  Myrnie 
snapped,  wishing  to  recall  the  words  before  they  were 
fully  uttered. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  waltz  with  Kate  at  all.  She  is  the 
one  who  is  not  to  be  put  wise  about  my  foot." 

"  Oh,  excuse  me." 

"  I  will  gladly.  Lucy  Morgan's  dining-room  is  only 
a  few  steps  from  here.  It  is  not  entirely  dark  in  there, 
and  the  floor  is  fine;  you  come  there  when  you  get  a 
good  chance,  and  we  will  have  a  waltz  by  starlight,  and 
no  one  to  bother  us." 

"  Indeed,  I  shall  not,"  she  told  him,  firmly. 

"  I  shall  expect  you  just  the  same,"  he  told  her,  but 
just  then  Grin  finished  his  jig  and  the  laughing  watch- 
ers dispersed.  Kate  and  some  other  girls  came  into  the 
room  in  time  to  see  Don  disappear  from  the  window, 
and  a  wild,  fearful  look  came  into  her  eyes,  but  she 
carried  her  head  high  and  pretended  not  to  have  seen 
him. 

Presently  he  came  limping  into  the  room  and  seated 
himself  by  Kate,  telling  her  that  he  had  ridden  over 
alone  for  fun,  not  being  able  to  keep  away.  Don  glanced 
toward  Myrnie,  but  saw  that  his  half-brother,  Roy 
Fielding,  was  talking  to  her.  Soon  he  limped  out  of 
the  room  and  perched  himself  at  the  open  window, 
where  he  remained,  watching  with  interest,  sometimes 
with  a  cynical  smile,  the  merry  dancers.  Myrnie  pre- 
tended to  pay  no  heed  to  him;  she  was  making  herself 
very  agreeable  to  his  half-brother,  but  a  flame  of  tor- 

251 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ture  went  through  her  whenever  Kate  stopped  under  the 
window  to  chat  with  him,  flashing  the  dangerous  lights 
from  her  black  eyes. 

At  midnight  supper  was  spread  on  a  long  table  which 
Eshler  and  others  constructed  in  the  middle  of  the  hall, 
and  if  ever  a  table  groaned  under  its  load,  that  one  did. 
Don  sat  with  Kate  in  a  half-sheepish  way,  which  he 
covered  cleverly  by  the  well-directed  broadsides  which 
he  threw  at  the  other  fellows,  who  answered  back  with 
equal  enthusiasm.  Myrnie  was  occupied  with  Roy,  and 
it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the  boy  was  getting  into 
deep  water. 

Shortly  after  midnight  a  great  clamor  was  heard  out- 
side, and  with  it  the  gruff  voices  of  men  swearing.  Esh- 
ler was  trying  to  make  peace,  but  with  little  success. 
Soon  the  trouble  was  explained  by  the  appearance  of 
Jim  Bailey,  stalking  into  the  hall  in  a  half-intoxicated 
state,  with  two  heavy  revolvers  strapped  about  him. 
George  Overwhacker  and  Mexican  Charley  were  at  his 
heels,  and  several  other  sheep-men  hovered  near. 

"  I  don't  give  a  damn  for  petticoats  nor  kids,"  Jim 
Bailey  thundered.  "The  man  who  is  poisoning  my  sheep 
will  pay  for  it,  and  if  I  can  find  him  here  to-night,  he 
will  pay  heavy  too." 

The  women  huddled  together  in  fright,  for  Jim  Bailey 
was  known  to  be  troublesome  when  in  liquor,  but  he  was 
hurried  from  the  room  by  a  number  of  men  and  the 
wrangle  went  on  from  outside. 

"  This  is  a  great  place  for  him  to  come  to  make 
trouble,  here  among  women  and  children,"  Mrs.  Collins 
said. 

"  But  he  says  some  one  is  poisoning  his  sheep,  and 
252 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

he  is  not  the  only  one  who  is  having  the  very  same 
trouble.  They  are  up  to  their  old  tricks  again,  and  this 
thing  can  not  always  go  on/'  spoke  up  a  woman  from 
the  Verde,  whose  husband  owned  sheep. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  it's  only  a  bluff  he  is  trying  to  work 
to  cover  his  own  dirt,"  spoke  Lucy  Morgan.  "Only 
last  week  Tuck  Potter  found  one  of  his  critters  where 
it  had  been  shot  down  not  so  very  far  from  a  certain 
sheep  camp,  and  I  guess  Jim  Bailey  does  not  live  on 
mutton  all  the  year  round.  This  cow  had  the  round  cut 
out.  Seth  Bailey  was  seen  to  have  fresh  beef  in  his 
bucket  at  school  about  that  time,  and  did  you  ever  hear 
of  Jim  Bailey  buying  any  meat?" 

"Yes,"  put  in  Mrs.  Collins.  "Let  him  take  his  in- 
fernal sheep  off  this  range.  This  is  a  cattle  country. 
He  has  been  heard  to  make  his  threat  that  he  will  have 
this  range  to  himself  in  two  years  more." 

Then  all  the  women  commenced  to  talk,  taking  vio- 
lent sides  one  way  or  another,  till  it  seemed  that  some- 
thing must  happen. 

"Well,  now,"  Becky  Moore  consoled,  "  It  is  bad 
enough  for  the  men  to  make  trouble  about  this  to-night, 
and  you  all  know  that  this  is  no  place  for  trouble.  Let 
us  women  folks  set  a  better  example  by  making  peace." 

At  this  the  groups  of  women  broke  up,  for  they  real- 
ized that  Becky  was  right,  and  they  told  her  as  much, 
and  became  more  friendly  in  their  comments;  but  the 
spirit  of  unrest  which  had  been  stirred  up  among  them 
by  this  occurrence  was  by  no  means  pacified.  It  was 
evident,  that  the  bitter  enmity,  which  always  exists 
when  sheep-men  and  cattle-men  live  in  too  close 
proximity,  was  astir,  and  this  was  the  first  flashing  up 

253 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  the  flame  that  was  to  burn  so  fiercely  in  the  near 
future. 

Finally  Jim  Bailey  and  his  crowd  were  induced  to  go 
away.  Mexican  Charley  was  no  longer  in  the  orchestra, 
but  there  was  some  one  ready  to  take  his  place.  Sev- 
eral other  families,  all  those  who  owned  sheep,  gathered 
up  their  belongings  and  took  their  departure.  Others 
looked  about  in  an  uncertain  way,  till  Eshler  Morgan 
came  in  and  addressed  them. 

"  Now,  ladies  and  gents,  do  not  let  this  little  affair 
interfere  with  our  dance.  This  was  a  put-up  job  by 
the  whole  bunch.  Those  fellows  came  here  with  the  in- 
tention of  breaking  up  this  dance,  and  nothing  would 
please  them1  so  much  as  to  be  able  to  do  so,  but  nothing 
would  beat  them  so  much  as  to  find  that  they  can  not  do 
it.  Let  us  not  mind  them.  So  get  your  pardners  for  a 
waltz." 

These  words  were  no  sooner  out  of  his  mouth  than 
bang,  bang,  bang,  rang  out  three  guns  from  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  the  lights  were  out.  Jim  Bailey  and  his  crowd 
had  gone  a  short  distance  from  the  house  and  fired  at 
the  lamps  through  the  windows.  Consternation  reigned, 
and  there  were  hushes  and  smothered  voices  of  fear,  till 
Eshler,  aided  by  others,  relighted  the  lamps,  put  on  new 
globes,  and  drew  down  the  window  blinds.  A  number 
of  cowboys  jumped  on  to  their  ponies  and  followed  the 
culprits,  demanding  an  explanation,  but  Jim  Bailey  only 
laughed  loudly,  and  said  that  he  wished  them  to  under- 
stand that  they  were  fair  marksmen,  and  that  he  guessed 
it  was  time  lights  were  out  and  all  good  folks  were  in 
bed,  anyway. 

Myrnie  was  very  nervous  and  wished  to  go  home,  but 
254 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes 

no  one  else  seemed  much  disconcerted,  and  they  all  as- 
sured her  that  there  was  no  danger  whatever.  It  was 
now  looked  upon  as  a  good  joke. 

Don  Gray  came  to  Myrnie  now  that  Kate  had  left  the 
hall  again,  and  said:  " Wasn't  that  rich,  that  shooting? 
I  would  not  have  missed  this  affair  to-night  for  a  good 
deal." 

"  I  certainly  did  not  enjoy  it,"  she  told  him. 

"  Well,  I  expect  you  to  enjoy  it  with  me.  This  is  the 
crowning  glory  of  my  efforts,  and  it  is  rich,  rich,"  and 
he  went  away  laughing  before  Kate  came  back  into  the 
room. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  whole  house  was  waltzing 
again,  and  good  cheer  returned  to  every  heart.  Their 
wits  seemed  to  be  more  alive  than  before. 

"  Say,  Grin,"  called  out  John  Alexander,  as  he  sat 
proudly  by  his  widow,  "have  you  found  a  name  yet  for 
your  copper  mine  up  in  the  gulch?" 

"  Yes,  John.    I  think  I  have,"  Grin  answered,  proudly. 

"  What  is  the  name  ?"  John  asked. 

"  I've  called  it  Fool's  Gulch,"  Grin  said. 

"  That's  a  mighty  appropriate  name,  Grin,"  Doc  Man- 
hart  put  in. 

"  That's  what  I  thought,"  was  Grin's  remark. 

"  When  you  strike  it  rich,  you  are  going  to  put  me  in 
on  the  ground-floor  right,  ain't  you,  Grin?"  Doc  ban- 
tered. 

"  Let  you  in  ?  Huh,  I'd  like  to  know  what  you  have 
ever  done  for  me  that  I  am  to  let  you  in,"  Grin  flashed 
back. 

"  Done  for  you  ?  Why,  I  chased  the  coyotes  away 
from  your  sheep  a  number  of  times  when  you  was 

255 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

wastin'  your  time  and  breath  down  at  the  school-house. 
What  have  you  ever  done  for  me?"  Doc  asked,  feeling 
sure  that  he  had  the  best  of  Grin  for  once. 

"  Done  for  you,"  Grin  drawled,  stepping  up  before 
Doc,  "why,  I  named  the  Gulch  after  you,  Doc.  What 
more  could  you  ask  me  to  do  for  you?" 

Doc  joined  in  the  laugh  that  followed  this,  knowing 
that  he  was  fairly  beaten. 

"Doesn't  he  just  beat  everything?"  Myrnie  heard 
some  one  say,  and  turning,  she  found  Don  at  her  elbow. 

"  I  do  not  know  just  what  to  make  of  him  yet,"  she 
said.  "Tell  me  who  and  what  he  is." 

"  That  is  a  question  I  wish  some  one  would  answer 
for  me.  I've  known  him  for  several  years  and  am  not 
settled  in  my  mind  about  him  yet.  His  father  was  a 
drunken  thief,  as  everybody  knows,  and  his  mother,  as 
he  himself  puts  it,  was  a  full-blooded  idiot  at  times — . 
she  really  was  crazy  on  occasions,  and  it  is  hard  to  say 
what  the  combination  has  brought  forth.  But  he  has  a 
sister  who  is  a  musical  prodigy.  She  was  reared  by  a 
rich  uncle,  and  never  had  much  dealings  with  her  own 
family.  Grin  goes  by  the  name  of  fool,  but  I  sometimes 
wonder  if  he  is  not  the  brightest  light  this  section  has 
produced.  Everybody  in  the  Territory  has  heard  about 
him,  he  is  about  the  only  noted  person  this  section  has, 
and  I  think  we  ought  to  be  proud  of  him.  I  stay  with 
him  weeks  at  a  time,  and  I  find  his  company  very  divert- 
ing, I  never  grow  tired  of  him.  Some  of  his  ideas  and 
discoveries  are  really  wonderful.  Then  in  some  other 
matters  he  seems  a  perfect  fool.  I  think  he  will  lose  his 
mind  some  day,  as  his  mother  did.  They  do  say  she 
was  bright  at  times.  I  was  greatly  pleased  with  him  a 

256 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

few  years  ago,  at  a  political  meeting  at  Myer.  John 
Alexander  had  been  nominated  for  road  supervisor  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  but  Judge  Owens  wanted  his 
brother  to  have  the  place,  and  was  using  every  oppor- 
tunity to  turn  the  tide  of  feeling  in  his  direction.  He 
was  speaking  excitedly  and  said,  'We  do  not  want  a  man 
from  over  there  among  those — those — what  shall  I  call 
them?  Someone  tell  me,  quick'/' 

"  Hammerheads !"  yelled  Grin  from  the  audience,  and 
hammerheads  was  the  watchword  of  the  campaign,  and 
it  beat  John  Alex.  Grin  was  popular  .after  that,  and 
when  questioned  as  to  where  he  got  the  name,  said  it 
was  given  him  on  the  instant — said  he  saw  the  simi- 
larity in  the  shape  of  a  hammer  and  a  cowboy's  head. 

Don  had  been  so  pleasant  and  sane  in  this  conver- 
sation that  Myrnie  was  beginning  to  think  he  was  what 
she  wanted  him  to  be,  and  she  was  in  for  forgiving 
other  things  he  had  done  which  did  not  please  her  alto- 
gether. He  arose  and  limped  from  the  room  as  the 
floor  manager  called  out,  "Get  your  pardners  for  the  last 
waltz !" 

Don  went  out  of  the  door,  looking  back  at  Myrnie 
with  the  smile  in  his  eyes,  and  her  natural  desire  was  to 
follow  him,  but  she  told  herself  that  she  would  not.  But 
she  saw  Roy  Fielding  coming  toward  her,  and  she  want- 
ed to  avoid  him  now  more  than  anything,  and  she  arose 
and  hurried  from  the  room  before  he  reached  her.  She 
had  no  intention  of  going  to  the  dark  dining-room,  or 
at  least  that  is  what  she  told  herself,  but  her  feet  led  her 
there  in  spite  of  herself.  Don  was  there  waiting  for  her. 
She  was  angry  with  him  because  he  had  taken  it  for 
granted  that  she  would  come  and  said,  "  Oh,  you  seem 

257 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

awfully  sure  about  my  coming,  but  I  only  came  here  to 
get  a  drink  and  to  escape  dancing.  I  am  too  tired  to 
dance." 

"  There  is  the  music — come  on/'  and  he  held  out  his 
arm  and  smiled  at  her,  "You  could  not  be  so  cruel  when 
I  have  not  danced  this  night,"  and  she  went  to  him. 
She  could  see  his  face  dimly. 

They  waltzed  away,  round  and  round  the  dark  room 
with  their  two  hearts  beating  as  one.  This  last  waltz 
was  one  of  those  continuous  affairs  that  you  meet  with 
in  country  places  where  the  musicians  play  on  and  on 
till  the  dancers  tire  each  other  down.  Myrnie  and  Don 
danced  till  the  last  note  was  struck  and  she  had  forgotten 
all  about  her  fatigue.  They  heard  others  coming  toward 
the  room  and  they  went  each  in  an  opposite  direction 
feeling  a  strange  new  thrill  and  delight  permeating  their 
entire  beings. 

When  Myrnie  came  back  into  the  hall,  she  found  that 
Roy  had  not  danced.  He  came  to  her  and  spoke  in  a 
hurt  voice,  "  You  saw  me  coming  and  ran.  I  wanted 
to  dance  that  last  dance  with  you  so  badly.  Why  did 
you  go?  It  was  almost  unkind  of  you." 

"  I  did  not  see  you  coming.  (Lie  No.  i !)  I  was  so 
tired  I  did  not  want  to  dance  with  anyone." 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  will  let  me  take  you  home.  I  have 
the  crack  trotters  and  the  red-wheeled  wagon,  the  best 
rig  in  these  parts." 

They  both  laughed  at  this,  and  Myrnie  said  she  would 
go  home  with  him,  but  she  lingered  till  she  saw  Kate 
depart.  Don  Gray  was  with  her  and  Myrnie's  heart 
burned  with  anger. 

258 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  next  Monday  at  school,  Myrnie  was  surprised 
to  have  one  of  her  small  pupils  come  to  her  crying  with 
the  complaint  that,  "Yosie  hit  me  with  a  mud  ball." 

Myrnie  hastened  out  to  where  her  pupils  were,  and 
was  mystified  to  find  them  engaged  in  pitched  battle 
down  by  the  spring.  They  were  divided  into  two  fac- 
tions and  were  stationed  some  distance  apart,  mud  balls 
flying  freely.  The  clay  below  the  spring  was  wet  and 
in  good  condition  to  be  moulded,  but  neither  side  had 
taken  possession  of  the  spring  nor  forbidden  the  enemy 
to  make  missiles  of  defence.  Each  side  had  two  good 
men  at  the  spring,  making  balls  as  fast  mud  could  be 
rolled,  and  a  boy  apiece  to  carry  the  balls  when  made 
to  the  seat  of  action,  thus  again  exemplifying  the  fair- 
mindedness  of  Western  people,  and  illustrating  that 
same  principle  which  the  United  States  government 
showed  in  the  attempt  to  subdue  the  troublesome  Indian 
tribes  of  the  West,  when  she  furnished  them  with  guns 
and  ammunition,  and  at  the  same  time  sent  her,  superior 
forces  against  them  to  kill  and  conquer  them  entirely! 
Beautiful,  white-winged  mercy! 

The  perplexed  teacher  chose  different  methods  and 
ordered  the  ring-leaders  into  their  seats  demanding  an 
explanation. 

259 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  We  do  not  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with  them," 
Winnie  Collins  informed  her ;  "their  fathers  own  sheep." 
The  girl  went  on,  assured  that  she  was  right,  "and  they 
run  their  sheep  on  our  range  and  destroy  it  for  our 
cattle." 

"  Yes,"  spoke  Yosie,  her  black  eyes  flashing  fire,  "they 
commenced  on  us  first;  they  think  because  their  fathers 
were  here  first  that  our  fathers  have  no  right  here,  but 
my  father  owns  cattle  as  well  as  sheep,  and  my  father 
says,  and  I  guess  my  father  knows,  that  it  is  not  lawful 
for  them  to  fence  up  the  water,  but  that  is  what  they  do 
and  my  father  cuts  the  wires  for  them,  too,  so  he  does." 

It  was  little  Milly  who  spoke  this  time,  "Yes,  and  my 
papa  says  that  if  there  is  one,  tiny,  little  bit  of  meanness 
hidden  away  any  place  in  a  man's  makeup,  that  owning 
sheep  will  bring  it  to  the  surface,  and  I  guess  my  papa 
knows." 

Myrnie  smiled  to  herself;  she  could  hear  Bob  Moore 
saying  this  in  his  slow  way,  and  laughing  at  his  own 
remark  as  was  characteristic  of  him.  She  listened  awhile 
longer  to  the  wrangle  among  the  cattle  people  and  the 
sheep  people,  before  she  made  any  attempt  to  stop  them. 
It  was  no  easy  task  to  make  them  understand  that  this 
was  all  wrong,  that  no  matter  what  took  place  on  the 
range  among  the  parents,  that  children  must  be  friends 
at  school,  and  that  she  could  have  nothing  of  this  kind 
again.  They  at  last  promised  her  that  they  would  let 
their  father's  differences  pass  while  on  the  school  ground 
or  when  on  the  road  to  or  from  school.  However,  one 
boy  protested — "Don't  let  us  catch  them  out  on  Saturday 
or  Sunday.  We  will  fix  them  if  we  do,"  and  with  these 
words  they  still  maintained  their  principle. 

Each  day  for  two  weeks  after  this  new  rumors  came 
260 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

to  Myrnie's  ears  about  the  trouble  that  was  brewing  and 
growing  more  relentless  every  day.  Seth  Bailey  brought 
word  one  morning  that  his  foster-father  was  at  home 
very  sick.  Somebody  had  broken  into  his  cabin  during 
his  absence  from  home  and  had  "salted' '  (poisoned) 
his  food,  and  he  had  eaten  some  of  it  before  he  detected 
the  peculiar  taste. 

Children  on  the  other  side  said  that  their  cattle  were 
being  found  shot  down  on  the  range,  and  that  most  men 
in  the  community  were  carrying  their  guns  wherever 
they  went,  to  be  ready  if  any  trouble  came  up.  Rumor 
had  it  that  John  Alexander  had  been  fired  at,  one  day 
when  he  was  on  the  range,  by  somebody  hidden  in  the 
rocks,  and  had  almost  ridden  his  horse  to  death  to  get 
beyond  the  rain  of  bullets  that  fell  all  around  him.  Such 
reports  grew  and  multiplied  till  the  school  teacher  was 
so  distracted  that  she  forbid  all  mention  whatever  of  the 
subject  on  the  school  grounds;  but  disquieting  news 
reached  her  from  every  other  source — from  family  dis- 
cussions at  home  and  from  every  ranch  house  she  vis- 
ited, and  she  dared  not  take  sides;  she  must  remain 
neutral. 

Three  weeks  passed  since  the  dance,  and  she  had  seen 
nothing  of  Don  Gray.  The  words  he  had  said  to  her  on 
that  night  came  to  her  often,  but  she  could  not  under- 
stand him.  "  I  expect  you  to  enjoy  it  with  me,"  and 
"this  is  the  crowning  glory  of  my  efforts."  What  could 
he  have  meant  by  this? 

His  brother  Roy  had  not  deserted  her.  He  had  been 
to  see  her  on  Sundays  and  often  on  weekdays.  She  had 
treated  him  in  a  friendly  manner,  perhaps  because  he 
seemed  the  nearest  link  to  Don.  Then,  he  shielded  her 
from  other  tormentors  whose  presence  was  more  obnox- 

261 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ious,  because  everybody  now  began  to  think  that  Roy 
had  the  inside  track  with  the  teacher  and  there  was  no 
use  for  any  other  hammerhead  to  try — all  except  Grin; 
he  still  had  hopes. 

It  was  evident  that  Roy  was  deeply  and  insanely  in 
love.  He  took  the  merest  kindly  courtesy  from  her  as 
a  reciprocation  of  his  sentiments.  He  kept  his  eyes  on 
her  every  movement  when  he  was  with  her,  and  could 
not  at  all  conceal  the  plight  of  his  heart.  This  troubled 
the  girl  a  good  deal,  because  she  did  not  know  how  to 
put  him  off,  he  not  being  aggressive  enough  that  she 
could  speak  to  him  about  it. 

Roy  and  Don,  though  half-brothers,  were  of  entirely 
different  natures,  Roy  being  after  the  pattern  of  his 
father,  Mrs.  Gray's  second  husband,  who  was  a  fleshy, 
blonde  German  named  Fielding,  though  Roy  went  gen- 
erally by  the  name  of  Gray  because  his  mother  had  taken 
back  the  name  of  Don's  father.  Roy  having  inherited 
the  dream-nature  of  his  mother,  and  all  the  warmth 
and  impulsiveness  of  his  German  father,  became  the 
kind  of  lover  who  dwells  in  the  clouds.  All  the  world 
was  made  up  of  his  love,  nothing  else. 

No  one  about  Myer  knew  much  about  Don's  father. 
But  a  few  of  the  old-timers  had  seen  him  when  he  had 
come  back  from  the  sea  to  live  with  Mrs.  Gray  for  the 
second  time,  and  there  were  whispers  about  it  that  were 
not  complimentary  to  the  lady,  and  conjectures  and 
doubts.  But  the  fact  of  the  matter  was  that  he  had  been 
a  follower  of  the  sea,  light-hearted  and  filled  with  the 
love  of  adventure.  He  had  married  Don's  mother  when 
she  was  a  very  young  girl  living  in  a  coast  town  of 
Mexico,  while  his  vessel  was  lying  in  harbor  there  for 
a  short  time.  He  sailed  with  his  ship  soon  after,  leav- 

262 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ing  his  young  wife  with  promises  of  a  speedy  return, 
but  she  did  not  see  him  again  for  many  a  day.  News 
came  to  her  that  he  was  dead.  Her  son  was  born  and 
she  moved  northward  into  the  States,  and  in  a  time  she 
was  married  again  and  in  a  year  from  the  time  her  son 
Roy  was  born.  Her  husband  died  and  she  was  left  a 
young  widow  a  second  time. 

But  Don's  father  was  not  dead.  He  returned  to  the 
coast  town  of  Mexico  five  years  later,  and  finding  that 
his  wife  had  flown,  he  followed  her  and  found  her  where 
she  then  lived  in  Myer,  and  they  lived  together  in  a 
world  of  bliss  for  a  year  or  two.  But  the  old  longing 
for  the  sea  took  possession  of  him  again,  as  it  always 
does  those  of  that  kind,  and  he  went  back  to  his  ship, 
and  never  returned;  but  the  lonely  woman  still  waits  for 
him  and  will  not  move  from  the  place.  This  was  the 
man  she  loved.  At  the  time  of  these  happenings,  she 
was  a  handsome  woman  near  forty  years,  but  looked 
much  younger.  People  said  that  she  painted  her  face 
and  dyed  her  hair,  but  I  am  sure  that  this  was  only  the 
jealous  hits  of  plain-looking  women.  However,  her 
face  was  like  a  blossom,  with  its  smooth,  olive  skin  and 
carmine  lips,  her  eyes  being  large  and  brown,  and  soft 
as  a  deer's.  I  would  say  that  her  eyes  were  compelling, 
alluring,  driving.  But  at  most  times,  she  was  a  gloom- 
stricken  presence,  full  of  obscure,  inexpressible  sadness, 
as  if  all  the  forms  of  torment  made  weary  the  soul  with- 
in. When  she  spoke,  her  face  awoke  into  light  and  most 
motherly  sympathy,  her  eyes  always  holding  within  them 
misty  shadows,  as  of  eyes  that  have  wept  too  much.  A 
meditative  silence  hovers  around  her  like  that  which 
enfolds  the  mystic  Sphinx  in  the  lonesome  depths  of 
Egypt.  Her  voice  held  a  grievous  timber  as  if  telling 

263 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

of  disloyal  love,  faded  dreams,  unfulfilled  aims  and  dark- 
some waste  places.  This  brooding  gloom  did  not  always 
hang  about  her.  There  were  times  when  she  forgot  her 
sadness  and  talked  like  an  unconscious  child,  times  when 
she  sang  softly  to  herself,  and  her  voice  was  then  like 
a  lute  far  away  at  nightfall — and  at  such  times  she  was 
living  the  past.  Times  there  were  also  when  she 
laughed  gaily,  and  when  mischief  peeped  from 
her  dimples,  for  she  still  kept  her  dimples ;  but  she  fav- 
ored few  with  this  presence.  She  remained  at  home, 
dressed  daintily,  and  lived  her  inward  life  serenely. 

Few  persons  were  taken  into  her  life  at  all  and  none 
into  the  deeps  of  her  silence,  not  even  her  beloved  Don. 
Everybody  about  Myer  knew  Don  to  be  the  favorite 
child  of  his  mother,  and  this  caused  the  people  in  general 
to  cast  their  sympathy  with  Roy,  whom  they  declared  to 
be  honest,  straightforward  and  open,  "But  the  secrecy 
of  Satan  is  in  that  pair,  and  they  are  the  counterpart  of 
each  other."  Don  was  not  his  real  name,  but  this  is 
what  the  Myer  people  called  him,  because  it  was  be- 
lieved that  he  had  a  hint  of  Spanish  blood  in  his  veins; 
then  he  had  always  held  his  head  high. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Myrnie  took  to  wandering 
about  the  hills  by  herself,  beginning  to  pine  for  a  less 
disturbed  existence  than  that  which  surrounded  her  with 
its  neighborhood  quarrels.  Perhaps  the  reader  will  re- 
member that  on  the  day  when  Grin  brought  her  to  the 
community,  he  had  pointed  out  the  Black  Hawk  Strong- 
hold, where  the  caves  under  the  tall  rocks  were.  The 
girl  became  fond  of  walking  the  mile  to  this  place  and 
climbing  about  among  the  picturesque  rocks  to  gather 
the  delicate  ferns  and  mosses  that  grew  in  the  damp 
places.  One  day  when  she  was  climbing  about  this  place, 

264 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

she  thought  she  heard  someone  walking  below  on  the 
rocks,  but  when  she  listened  and  looked  and  saw  no  one, 
she  concluded  that  it  had  been  the  echo  of  her  own  steps. 
But  presently  she  heard  the  step  again,  and  it  was  near, 
and  turning  quickly,  she  stood  face  to  face  with  Don 
Gray.  He  was  smiling  at  her  and  his  arms  were  across 
his  chest. 

"  Oh,"  she  moaned,  all  a-tremble,  "  You  frightened 
me  so." 

"  Frightened  you,  Myrnie,"  his  fine  eyes  holding  her, 
"  Don't  you  know  I  would  not  hurt  a  blessed  hair  of 
your  head?"  His  soft  voice  gave  her  confidence. 

"  I  know,  I  know  you  would  not,  but  I  did  not  know 
it  was  you;  I  thought  it  was  Jim  Bailey,  and  he  does  not 
like  me  because  he  thinks  I  side  with  the  cattle  people." 

"  How  do  you  know  I  would  not  hurt  you  ?"  he  asked, 
smiling. 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  know,  but  I  just  know  it."  She  was 
smiling  now. 

"All  right,  then,  come  with  me."  He  held  out  his 
hand  and  she  took  it  and  followed  him  to  the  entrance 
of  a  cave,  where  they  seated  themselves  on  the  shelving 
rock. 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  come  here  ?"  she  asked  him. 

"  I  followed  you  here.  I  have  been  stopping  with 
Grin  this  week,  and  have  seen  you  out  by  yourself  a 
number  of  times,  and  always  tried  to  catch  you,  but 
this  is  my  first  success  in  that  line.  This  is  a  favorite 
haunt  of  mine.  I  come  here  often." 

"  If  you  wanted  to  see  me  so  much  as  that,  why  did 
you  not  come  to  the  house  or  to  the  school-house  to  see 
me?"  She  asked  innocently. 

"  Well,  I  have  good  reasons  not  to  do  that.    The  kid 

265 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

seems  so  set  on  you,  and  mother  seems  so  set  on  having 
him  have  you,  and  charged  me  not  to  interfere.  Once 
before  I  took  a  girl  from  him  and  he  did  not  speak  to 
me  for  a  year,  and  mother  was  awfully  upset  over  the 
affair.  She  wants  the  kid  to  get  married,  but  it  would 
break  her  heart  if  I  got  jarred  loose  from  her  apron 
string." 

"  But  I  do  not  like  Roy.  His  coming  to  see  me  would 
do  him  no  good  anyhow.  I  never  have  encouraged  him. 
He  puts  himself  forward  and  I  have  had  no  way  to  stop 
him.  But  I  shall  tell  him  the  next  time  I  see  him." 

"  I  will  get  all  the  blame  for  it,  but  let  us  not  speak 
of  unpleasant  things.  We  have  so  little  time  together," 
he  plead  in  his  mellifluous  tones. 

"  There  is  so  much  unpleasantness  all  among  these 
people  now  that  I  have  hardly  had  a  pleasant  thought 
for  weeks,"  she  complained. 

"  Oh,  these  quarrels  among  the  hammerheads  amount 
to  nothing.  You  must  not  let  them  bother  you.  This 
thing  has  been  going  on  for  years,  and  nothing  serious 
ever  happens.  They  are  a  little  more  upset  this  time 
than  I  ever  saw  them  before.  Every  Spring  this  blazes 
up  afresh.  I  reckon  the  blood  runs  fiercer  in  spring- 
time. I  think  it  is  the  greatest  fun  to  hear  them  make 
their  threats  and  to  see  them  carry  their  guns.  They  do 
not  know  one  thing  against  each  other  of  a  certainty. 
This  is  mostly  based  on  suspicion.  They  do  not  want 
to  have  any  real  trouble,  and  would  much  rather  live  at 
peace  with  each  other;  still  they  must  keep  up  a  little 
peck.  I  guess  it  is  the  gradual  decline  and  death  of  the 
dear  old  Western  spirit,  a  relic  of  the  time  that  they 
boast  of  when  they  had  a  man  for  breakfast  every  morn- 

266 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ing.  I  help  the  spirit  along  all  I  can ;  I  try  to  prolong 
its  life." 

"  But  how  do  you  help  it  along,  Don?" 

"  Never  you  mind,  I  have  my  part  in  the  game.  And 
maybe  sometime  I  will  tell  you  about  it."  After  this 
Don  changed  the  subject,  and  they  fell  to  discussing 
pleasanter  things,  and  sat  together  for  hours  not  know- 
ing how  fast  the  time  went.  There  was  not  a  great 
deal  of  talking,  for  it  was  mostly  smiling.  These  two 
children  were  carried  away  by  an  overmastering,  unex- 
plainable  love  for  each  other — a  love  that  had  been  in- 
stantaneous from  the  first,  mutual,  marvelous,  for  two  so 
young.  They  had  confessed  this  love  in  many  ways 
and  acts,  if  not  in  words,  and  each  knew  that  the  other 
knew  that  they  both  knew.  They  had  no  wish  to  con- 
ceal this  love  from  each  other,  and  yet  they  hesitated 
to  speak  of  it,  and  this  is  the  sweetest  kind  of  love. 
Even  now  as  they  sat  by  the  cave's  sunny  mouth,  their 
faces  took  on  divine,  smiling  expressions.  They  said 
little  they  looked  at  each  other  a  great  deal  and  smiled. 

When  it  was  time  for  Myrnie  to  go,  she  arose  and 
said,  "I  must  go  home,  now,  Don,  good-bye,"  smiling. 

"  Well,  I  shall  expect  you  to  come  here  after  school 
on  Friday  and  I  will  be  here  to  meet  you,"  and  he  too 
smiled  and  stood  and  watched  her  walk  away.  When 
she  had  climbed  down  to  the  path  and  had  gone  some 
distance,  she  turned  to  wave  at  him,  and  saw  him 
standing  high  above  her,  as  he  waved  a  last  adieu. 

Friday  evening  found  them  together  at  the  Strong- 
hold again,  and  they  met  there  often,  not  realizing  what 
these  meetings  were  coming  to  mean  to  both  of  them. 


267 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ONE    evening    when    Myrnie    sat    alone,    after    she 
had   spent   an   hour    with  Don  at  the  Stronghold,    she 
commenced    to    examine    her    heart    to    see    whither 
it    was    leading    her.     Don    Gray    had    never    spoken 
about    himself    and    Kate    to    Myrnie    and    she    said 
nothing    about    Fred    Harmon.     Their    visits    had    not 
been   spent   in   discussing  personal   things.     The   girl's 
promise   to    Fred    Harmon    was    binding    to   her    con- 
science.   She  knew  perfectly  well  how  he  still  felt  toward 
her,  and  she  felt  dutybound  and  determined  to  keep  her 
promise  to  him.     But  she  told  herself  that  she  still  had 
control  of  her  heart,  and  would  not  let  that  control  slip 
from  her.    Still  she  knew  that  the  love  she  had  held  for 
Fred  was  changed.    No,  not  changed,  nor  shifted  to  an- 
other, but  it  seemed  to  her  now  that  this  same  love  had 
existed  for  Don  all  the  time.    It  seemed  to  her  now,  as 
she  puzzled  her  thoughts  over  the  matter,  that  it  had 
been  the  spirit  of  Don  that  had  come  to  her  on  that  ter- 
rible night  in  Prescott  and  breathed  this  love  to  her  out 
of  the  night  of  fire,  and  that  her  soul  had  opened  to  it. 
She  did  not  try  to  comprehend  this  strange  feeling;  it 
was  beyond  her  at  this  time,  but  all  this  was  soon  to  be 
made  clear.  She  felt  a  great  pity  in  her  heart  for  Fred. 
He  was  dear  and  good,  she  knew  and  she  meant  to  keep 
her  promise  to  him.  She  felt  very  tender  toward  Fred 
when  she  thought  of  him,  and  told  herself  that  she  should 

268 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

love  him  the  same  again  when  she  saw  him.  She  tried 
to  call  that  love  back,  tried  to  coax  it,  to  grasp  it.  She 
would  hold  fast  to  it;  she  did  not  want  it  to  slip  away 
from  her.  She  withdrew  Fred's  photo  from  its  hiding 
place,  and  looking  long  and  earnestly  at  it,  spoke  in 
whispers  to  it.  She  called  him  endearing  names  as  she 
looked  at  the  picture,  recalling  all  the  words  of  endear- 
ment he  had  lavished  upon  her,  and  lived  over  again  the 
scenes  of  their  lovemaking,  but  the  salt  of  it  seemed 
to  have  lost  its  savor  and  was  tasteless.  Still  she  held 
firm,  and  repeated  her  promise  to  him. 

"  I  will,  I  will,  I  will  love  you.  I  will  marry  you  and 
no  one  else.  My  love  shall  not  steal  from  you.  I  love 
you,  you,  you,  no  one  else."  She  prayed  to  God  to  be 
saved  from  this  new  attachment,  and  she  made  up  her 
mind  to  tell  Don  Gray  about  her  engagement  to  Fred 
and  to  make  an  end  of  this  new  affair.  Why  had  she 
let  herself  adrift,  why  had  she?  But  now  she  had  suc- 
ceeded with  herself,  with  her  truant  heart,  she  was  so 
sure.  And  when  the  next  evening  came,  she  was  most 
eager  to  get  away  from  the  school-house  and  to  meet 
Don.  She  hurried,  almost  ran  along  the  stony,  cactus- 
infested  path  which  led  to  the  Stronghold,  to  make  a 
quick  end  of  her  unfaithfulness,  and  yet  as  she  neared 
the  place,  sly  little  smiles  that  she  could  not  drive  away 
crept  about  her  mouth,  in  the  happy  anticipation  of  see- 
ing Don  once  more. 

Don  was  there  before  her.  She  saw  him  high  upon 
the  rocks  waiting  for  her,  his  arms  folded  across  his 
chest.  All  went  before  her  in  a  minute.  Her  fortified 
resolve  so  badly  wanted  to  dissolve.  That  something 
which  was  turbulent  and  overpowering  in  Don's  in- 
fluence over  her,  that  something  which  was  tumultuous 

269  ' 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

took  her  by  storm.  She  paused  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff 
before  making  the  ascent,  to  take  a  firm  hold  on  her  will, 
before  coming  into  the  full  glare  of  his  presence,  and  he, 
thinking  it  was  fatigue  which  held  her,  came  scurrying 
down  to  meet  her,  the  dislodged  stones  rolling  before 
him  as  they  were  loosened  by  his  impetuous  feet,  with 
his  mother's  compelling  eyes  on  her,  and  the  elusive, 
soul-supplying  smile  about  his  mouth  so  unconscious  of 
the  state  of  her  mind,  and  she  knew  this,  so  her  sym- 
pathetic heart  made  her  speak  pleasantly. 

"  Have  you  been  waiting  long,  Don  ?" 

"  Should  say  I  have  —  been  here  for  two  hours ; 
thought  you  never,  never  would  come,"  pretending 
anger. 

And  this  show  of  anger  gave  her  courage  to  say, 

"  Well,  I  shall  never,  never  come  again  to  this  place 
to  meet  you." 

"  Now  you  are  joking,"  but  he  looked  a  little  alarmed. 

"  No,  I  mean  it.  I  can't  come  here  any  more,  Don, 
for  I  am  engaged  to  be  married  when  this  school  closes 
and  it  is  not  right  for  me  to  come  here,  I  am  sure." 
And  she  said  more  in  this  vein  while  they  climbed  up 
the  rocks  and  seated  themselves  in  the  accustomed 
place. 

"  I  am  engaged  to  be  married,  too,  but  what  is  the 
odds?  We  might  just  as  well  come  here  and  enjoy  our- 
selves— might  just  as  well." 

Then  Myrnie  told  him  about  Fred,  calmly  and  brave- 
ly, hesitating  and  stammering  and  almost  choking 
often,  but  dwelling  on  the  virtues  of  the  man  and  affirm- 
ing, that  she  meant  to  keep  her  promise  to  him.  He 
told  her  that  he  meant  to  keep  his  promise  to  Kate,  and 


270 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

spoke  of  her  good  qualities,  and  in  spite  of  everything 
this  hurt  Myrnie  so  much  worse  than  he  knew. 

"  We  might  just  as  well  come  here  anyway,  Myrnie 
— might  just  as  well.  There  is  no  harm  in  this,  is  there? 
We  might  just  as  well  come." 

This  sounded  so  easy  to  Myrnie.  He  had  such  an 
easy  way  of  putting  things,  seeming  to  dispose  of  all 
the  responsibility,  and  she  wanted  to  agree  with  him  and 
say  too,  "might  just  as  well,"  but  she  said  "No,  no," 
very  firmly  and  was  surprised  at  her  own  strength. 

Don's  face  did  not  display  the  shadow  which  passed 
over  his  soul  as  he  listened  to  her  firm  "No,  no."  He 
only  smiled  cynically,  and  commenced  picking  up  small 
stones  and  throwing  them  at  a  knot  on  a  box-elder  tree 
that  stood  near,  and  hitting  the  knot  nearly  every  time. 
After  several  minutes  of  this  he  said: 

"  Gee,  but  I  pity  the  poor  kid.  He  is  crazy  over  you 
— goes  about  smiling  to  himself,  and  shaking  his  head  as 
though  he  is  talking  to  some  one.  I  think  he  is  going 
over  every  word  you  have  ever  said  to  him — is  perfectly 
lost  to  his  surroundings  and  speaks  of  making  changes. 
Poor  devil,  I  pity  him/' 

"  I  shall  tell  him  what  I  have  told  you  the  next  time 
I  see  him,"  Myrnie  said,  almost  in  tears. 

Don  thought  for  several  minutes  again,  sighed  and 
arising,  said: 

"Well,  then,  guess  I  might  just  as  well  forget  it; 
might  just  as  well.  But  come  on;  I  want  to  show  you 
my  spoil.  I  told  you  once  before  that  I  have  had  my 
part  in  the  fights  of  the  hammerheads,  and  I  will  prove 
that  statement  to  you  now."  He  walked  toward  the 
cave's  mouth  in  a  daredevil  way,  Myrnie  following  in 


271 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

the  steps  he  made  for  her  along  the  rocky  way,  knowing 
not  what  she  expected. 

He  started  to  enter  the  cave,  but  when  she  was  a  step 
within  the  rocky  entrance,  she  stopped  and  cried, 

"  Oh,  Don,  I  am  afraid.  It  looks  so  black  in  there. 
I  can't  go  in.  Why  do  you  go,  anyway  ?" 

"  Come  on,  girl,  nothing  in  the  world  to  fear  in  here. 
Do  you  think  I  would  take  you  into  danger?  I  come  in 
here  often."  He  drew  a  piece  of  candle  from  a  niche 
in  the  wall  and-  lighted  it,  and  taking  her  hand  said, 
"Come  on,"  and  led  the  way. 

They  passed  through  fifty  feet  of  straight  tunnel,  she 
trembling  a  little  and  wondering  if  this  was  a  mine, 
when  presently  she  found  herself  in  a  large  rock-walled 
room.  There  were  heaps  of  something  on  the  ground 
covered  with  sheets  of  canvas.  Don  let  her  look  all 
about  at  everything,  then  he  threw  off  the  canvas  sheets 
and  said: 

"  These  things  I  have  cached  here  so  that  when  Kate 
and  I  go  to  house-keeping,  we  shall  have  a  good  start." 
There  was  mischief  written  all  over  his  face. 

Myrnie  turned  very  pale,  then  stood  staring  first  at 
Don,  then  at  the  heaps  of  saddles,  bridles,  tools,  bedding, 
kitchen  utensils,  spurs,  guns  and  what  not.  She 
opened  her  mouth  to  speak  several  times,  but  her  tongue 
clove  to  its  roof  and  she  stared  more,  but  finally  she 
asked  in  a  firm  voice : 

"  Where  did  these  come  from  ?" 

He  laughed  uproariously,  and  his  laugh  rolled  about 
the  cave  as  he  answered.  "Oh,  from  one  hammerhead 
and  another.  Haven't  you  heard  them  tell  of  how  their 
neighbors  stole  them  blind?  I've  managed  to  keep  the 
slow  fires  of  enmity  burning  among  them  by  hooking  a 

272 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

thing  now  and  then  and  caching  it  here.  Everybody 
thinks  these  caves  are  filled  with  rattlesnakes,  and  they 
fight  shy  of  coming  in  here.  I  started  the  snake  story 
myself  to  keep  them  out." 

"  Don,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  have  stolen  these 
things  from  the  people  about  here?"  she  asked,  looking 
at  the  gruesome  shadows  that  fell  in  grotesque  shapes 
about  the  cave. 

"  I  do  not  call  this  stealing,  this  is  only  hooking.  I 
have  no  use  for  these  things,  and  when  the  psychological 
moment  arrives  I  intend  to  restore  these  to  their  owners. 
This  is  the  only  amusement  I  have  had  for  the  last  three 
years,"  he  broke  out  laughing,  and  continued: 

"After  I  have  put  certain  things  here,  I  have  heard 
the  hammerheads  cursing  each  other  as  they  stood  at  the 
counter  in  Myer,  buying  others  to  replace  them.  I  always 
condoled  them  on  their  losses  and  complimented  them 
on  their  good  taste  in  buying  others  to  replace  them, 
but  before  they  knew  it  they  were  compelled  to  buy  yet 
others  to  replace  those  again.  There  are  three  new 
saddles  I  got  from  Sour-dough  Wilson,  till  the  poor 
fellow  gave  up  in  despair  and  traded  for  a  worthless  old 
saddle  from  Mexican  Charley  which  I  have  mercifully 
allowed  him  to  keep.  And  sitting  on  a  hill  side,  taking 
good  aim,  I've  brought  down  a  cow,  or  a  burro  now  and 
then,  never  shot  any  really  valuable  animals,  you  know, 
but  when  they  see  them  dead,  they  look  very  valuable 
to  them.  Just  the  other  day  I  gave  John  Alex  such  a 
chase  for  his  life  that  you  never  saw  a  man  get  down 
and  dig  as  he  did.  I  did  not  allow  a  bullet  to  come 
nearer  than  three  feet  of  him.  I  broke  into  Jim  Bailey's 
cabin  and  put  ipecac  into  his  pot  of  beans.  Guess  you 
heard  about  those  things."  He  was  laughing  again. 

273 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"Don,  Don,  to  think  Don,  to  think!"  Her  voice 
and  her  eyes  were  moist. 

He  went  to  her  and  placed  his  hands  on  her  shoulders, 
and  said: 

"  Don't  take  it  like  that.  It's  only  a  joke.  Listen  to 
me — might  just  as  well  have  a  little  fun  as  we  go  along. 
You  know  there  has  been  nothing  and  nobody  to  in- 
terest me  here  before  you  came,  nothing  to  keep  me 
from  dying  of  monotony." 

"  There  was  Kate,"  she  snapped  at  him. 

c<  Yes,  but  Kate  did  not  make  me  want  to  be  anybody. 
I  have  left  this  place  several  times,  but  mother  always 
calls  me  back.  She  is  dependent  on  me  and  she  will  not 
live  in  any  other  place,  and  for  what  reason  I  never 
could  understand.  I  have  made  this  amusement  for  my- 
self to  keep  from  doing  something  worse." 

"  You  are  the  meanest  person  I  have  ever  known, 
Don  Gray!" 

"  Now,  now,  don't  you  go  and  say  that.  I  know  I 
am  not  very  good,  but  I  would  like  to  be  better,  but 
what  is  the  use  now?  I  thought  perhaps  that  you  and 
I  might  go  away  from  here  when  your  school  closes, 
and  I  would  make  it  known  to  the  hammerheads  where 
their  lost  treasure  is  and  restore  peace  among  them 
forever  more."  Here  he  went  off  into  a  fit  of  laughing, 
in  which  Myrnie  was  forced  to  join,  the  tears  still 
glistening  on  her  cheeks. 

"  There,  there,  that  is  right,  take  it  as  a  joke  for  that 
is  all  it  has  been."  And  he  took  her  hand  and  led  her 
out  of  the  cave,  and  after  looking  at  her  for  some  time 
asked  her  if  she  would  come  again,  and  said  that  she 
just  might  as  well,  but  she  refused  repeatedly. 

He  mounted  his  black  mare  Fashion  and  rode  away. 
274 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Myrnie  walked  homeward.  She  was  letting  herself  drift. 
She  did  not  try  to  bridle  her  inclinations.  She  loved 
him,  she  loved  him  more  than  ever  now.  If  he  was  a 
mean  man,  then  she  loved  a  mean  man.  Her  thoughts 
were  too  full  for  utterance.  Now  and  then  a  wave  of 
glad  happiness  swept  over  her  like  sunshine  that  comes 
from  behind  a  cloud,  and  she  enjoyed  it  when  it  came 
nor  bid  it  to  depart.  The  gloom  came  often  enough  and 
she  was  learning  Don's  philosophy,  "Just  might  as 
well." 


275 


CHAPTER  VII. 


As  the  days  grew  warmer  and  that  drowsy  feeling 
which  is  known  as  spring  fever  crept  over  the  children, 
they  began  to  think  "picnic,"  and  to  talk  it  to  their 
teacher. 

"  It  has  always  been  a  custom,"  Milly  Moore  told 
her,  shaking  her  wise  little  head,  "to  have  a  picnic  on 
the  first  day  of  May,  and  that  is  only  twelve  days  away. 
Shan't  we  have  one  this  year,  teacher?" 

"  It  falls  on  school  day,"  Myrnie  told  her. 

"  But  that  makes  no  difference.  We  never  let  school 
interfere  with  a  good  time  out  here,  and  the  trustees 
always  give  the  teacher  the  days  for  picnics  and  those 
after  a  dance." 

Then  all  the  children  commenced  to  cry,  "Picnic,"  till 
they  secured  the  promise  for  one.  Nor  was  it  only  the 
children  who  were  in  for  it,  but  the  parents  as  well.  In- 
deed, there  was  nothing  better  for  them,  hard-worked 
fathers  and  mothers  as  they  were,  than  to  sit  on  the 
grass  in  the  shade  of  a  tree,  on  a  lazy,  warm  day,  and 
talk  of  other  things  than  their  daily  affairs  the  while 
watching  their  offspring  gamboling  and  mingling  to- 
gether in  that  light  -  heartedness  that  belongs  to  all 
children  under  the  sun,  wherever  they  may  be  and 
under  whatever  conditions. 

There  were  never  any  discussions  as  to  where  these 
276 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

picnics  were  to  be  held.  It  had  been  the  custom  for 
years  to  hold  all  picnics  down  on  Aunt  Sally's  bottom. 
This  was  a  strip  of  wooded  bottom  land  which  lay  along 
the  Ague  Frio  river,  near  Sour-dough  Wilson's  ranch, 
where  he  lived  with  his  widowed  mother  and  her  three 
orphaned  grand-children.  This  lady  was  known  far  and 
wide  as  Aunt  Sally,  perhaps  because  she  was  so  light 
of  heart,  and  always  kept  on  hand  a  supply  of  delicious 
ice-cold  buttermilk,  which  she  liberally  served  to  all 
comers.  Every  cowboy  in  the  country  sang  the  praises 
of  Aunt  Sally's  buttermilk.  Aunt  Sally  was  a  large 
fleshy  lady,  and  being  easy-going  as  most  fleshy  people 
are,  she  always  gave  her  neighbors  permission  to  hold 
their  picnics  down  on  her  bottom  land  because  it  was 
the  best  place  in  all  the  country  for  such  merrymakings. 

Large  cottonwood  trees  stood  along  this  bottom  land, 
four  of  them  clustered  about  the  ice-cold  spring  that 
gushed  from  among  their  roots;  green  grass  carpeted 
the  ground,  and  birds  built  their  nests  in  these  trees,  so 
that  there  were  always  plenty  to  lend  their  songs  for 
the  first  day  of  May. 

Roy  Fielding  had  been  making  the  roads  smooth 
between  Myer  and  Browns  Springs.  Myrnie  had  told 
him  of  her  engagement  to  Fred  Harmon,  when  he  de- 
clared his  love  for  her  all  in  the  rush  and  fervor  of  his 
smitten  heart,  but  he  had  let  this  make  no  difference  to 
him,  thinking  no  doubt  that  he  would  yet  "win  out 
against  the  other  fellow." 

Now  he  came  begging  the  privilege  of  taking  her  to 
the  picnic,  but  she  said, 

"  No,  Roy,  I  prefer  to  go  unattended.  Bob  Moore 
has  promised  me  and  my  pupils  a  hay-ride.  They  are 
all  to  come  here  early  in  the  morning  and  Mr.  Moore 

277 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

will  drive  for  us.  Besides,  I  wish  to  give  my  undivided 
time  to  the  children,  for  this  is  the  last  time  I  shall  be 
with  them  in  this  way.  School  will  be  out  in  a  few 
days  and  I  shall  be  gone." 

"  You  shall  be  gone,"  and  he  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands,  "  My  God,  you  will  be  gone.  Oh,  can't  you 
love  me,  can't  you?" 

But  she  did  not  answer  this.  He  had  been  going  on 
like  this  before,  and  Myrnie  only  said  to  him, 

"  You  and  your  brother  can  come  together." 

"  Oh,"  he  flung  back,  "  I  would  not  be  so  foolish  as 
to  count  on  him.  He  will  be  chasing  down  country  after 
Kate." 

The  morning  of  the  first  day  of  May  found  the  whole 
school,  as  well  as  Bob  Moore  and  his  wife,  piled  high 
on  a  wagon  covered  with  loose  hay.  They  were  dressed 
in  their  Sunday  best,  and  all  were  in  the  brightest  of 
spirits.  They  declared  Myrnie  Queen  of  the  May,  and 
she  laughingly  accepted  the  honor,  and  like  a  queen 
she  looked  and  felt,  decked  in  the  flowers  they  lavished 
upon  her,  which  they  had  gathered  all  along  the  way, 
for  every  little  while  the  wagon  stopped  for  this  purpose. 

Over  the  road  they  scurried,  up  hill  and  down  hill, 
helter-skelter,  with  their  hearts  attune  to  the  spirit  of 
May,  and  their  wagon  was  the  first  to  arrive  at  the 
grounds.  Swings  were  thrown  up  and  other  devices 
for  providing  amusement  and  occupation  for  the  active 
young  people. 

Soon  the  neighborhood  began  to  arrive,  and  it  was 
not  long  till  the  grass  about  the  springs  was  teeming 
with  the  happy  throng.  No  wife  had  forgotten  the 
spacious,  well  -  filled  dinner  basket,  and  there  was  no 
prospect  of  anybody  going  hungry. 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Aunt  Sally  and  her  son  Sour-dough  had  walked,  the 
distance  being  slight,  and  each  came  lugging  two  big 
demijohns  of  buttermilk.  "Churned  this  very  morning," 
said  Aunt  Sally. 

Eshler  Morgan  was  there,  seeing  to  it  that  no  one 
lacked  comfort,  playing  the  part  of  the  kind  monitor 
that  he  was  by  nature,  while  his  red-headed  spouse  with 
her  imperceptible  eyebrows,  sat  sullenly  by,  miffed,  no 
doubt,  because  she  had  not  been  made  Queen  of  the 
May. 

Will  Collins  and  his  family  came  along,  with  George 
Overwhacker  and  his  dark-complexioned  partner,  and 
the  seven  "muchachos."  The  loose  cowboys  in  the 
community  came  galloping  up  on  wild  broncos,  using 
their  spurs  freely,  making  their  mounts  perform  wildly 
in  order  to  show  their  skill  in  the  saddle.  Some  few 
of  them  brought  girls,  or  a  widow  perhaps,  but  never 
an  old  maid,  for  this  is  an  article  which  Arizona  is  not 
guilty  of  permitting,  though  it  yields  a  big  crop  of  bach- 
elors. Plenty  of  widows  too,  but  their  day  of  widow- 
hood is  usually  short.  Some  bachelor,  widower,  or  even 
some  youth  ten  years  her  junior  will  snap  her  up  be- 
fore she  is  aware,  and  she  is  a  foxy  widow  no  longer. 

Jim  Bailey  came  to  the  picnic  riding  a  mule.  Bob 
Moore  said  a  sheep-man  would  naturally  ride  a  mule, 
and  what  do  you  suppose  he  brought  with  him — noth- 
ing but  his  empty  stomach.  Strange  to  say  that  at  a 
picnic,  or  at  any  neighborhood  gathering  it  was  the 
custom  to  forget  all  differences.  Enmity  existed  only 
on  the  range.  This  was  another  of  the  necessary  rules 
of  the  country,  otherwise  there  would  have  been  few 
gatherings,  scarcity  of  population  forbidding,  and  when 
this  law  was  broken,  as  it  had  been  on  the  night  of  the 

279 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

dance,  a  great  misdemeanor  against  the  orthodox  laws 
of  the  community  was  commited. 

Now  all  these  men  sat  together  in  a  friendly  group, 
lamenting  the  lack  of  rain,  for  no  rain  to  speak  of  had 
fallen  during  the  winter  and  spring,  and  the  range  was 
already  becoming  dry.  There  were  few  places  where 
water  could  be  had  in  sufficient  quantities  to  supply  the 
stock  on  the  broad  range. 

Grin  Oliver,  without  whom  no  neighborhood  gather- 
ing would  have  been  complete,  came  walking  with  his 
five  shepherd  dogs  trailing  behind  him.  Jim  Bailey  had 
allowed  him  to  corral  the  sheep  for  this  day.  Indeed 
there  was  no  dearth  of  dogs,  and  dog  fights  were  one 
of  the  sports  of  the  day.  Grin  was  very  much  over- 
dressed. He  had  on  new  ox-blood  ties,  and  what  Doc 
Manhart  was  pleased  to  call  a  hot  vest,  and  socks  that 
you  could  hear  "atickin' "  miles  away.  But  bless  Grin's 
heart,  his  gift  was  as  big  as  his  nature.  He  carried 
on  his  shoulder  a  flour  sack  nearly  full,  and  it  contained 
candy  and  nuts  for  the  little  folks,  he  said. 

Myrnie  was  busy  talking  to  this  one  and  that  one, 
for  everybody  expected  a  part  of  her  time.  The  chil- 
dren, too,  wanted  her  to  take  a  part  in  all  their  games. 
All  this  she  managed  to  do,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
keep  a  sharp  outlook  on  the  road.  Every  horsebacker 
who  came  galloping  over  the  smooth  road  way,  sent  her 
heart  into  her  throat  till  she  saw  who  it  was. 

Presently  all  the  crowd  was  astir  and  the  cause,  as 
Myrnie  soon  found,  was  that  a  black-top  came  spinning 
over  the  road,  and  when  the  two  occupants  of  the  car- 
riage stepped  down,  the  teacher  saw  that  they  were  Don 
and  Kate.  All  her  courage  fled,  and  she  went  pale  as 
death.  She  leaned  against  a  tree  to  keep  from  falling, 

280 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  some  one  near,  seeing  her  plight,  hurried  away  to 
get  water,  but  she  explained  that  it  was  nothing  at  all, 
and  said  that  it  often  happened  when  she  was  foolish 
enough  to  get  into  a  swing,  and  soon  she  was  herself 
and  went  smiling  over  to  meet  Kate,  who  looked 
splendid  in  a  red  dress  and  veil.  She  walked  proudly 
along  by  Don,  who  wore  a  sheepish  look,  and  kept  glanc- 
ing around  furtively,  as  though  he  feared  to  meet  some 
one  whom  he  expected  to  encounter  here. 

Myrnie  had  been  playing  boisterously  with  the  chil- 
dren, as  the  pair  walked  over  the  grass,  and  it  had  cost 
her  an  effort  to  greet  Kate  so  pleasantly.  She  only 
smiled  and  nodded  toward  Don,  who  stood  by  picking 
something  to  pieces  which  looked  like  a  flower.  But 
the  children  called  to  Myrnie,  and  she  was  glad  to  run 
back  to  them. 

There  was  no  time  for  ennui  in  this  crowd.  Some- 
body was  making  rare  fun  all  the  time,  and  Grin  seemed 
to  be  at  the  head  of  this.  To-day  he  was  especially  gay, 
and  nothing  afforded  him  so  much  delight  as  making 
jokes  at  Myrnie's  expense.  The  news  was  out  that 
Myrnie  had  refused  Roy  Gray,  and  Grin  had  heard  it, 
and  was  in  the  best  of  humor. 

"  Hey  there,  Tim  Dailey,"  he  called  to  a  fellow  from 
the  Verde,  "Come  over  here,  I  want  to  introduce  you  to 
this  little  pedagog,"  and  when  he  had  introduced  the  fel- 
low he  remarked,  "She  is  the  most  even-tempered  little 
pedagog  that  you  ever  saw ;  she  is  mad  all  the  time."  .  • 

The  laugh  that  followed  this  had  hardly  subsided  when 
little  six-year-old  Sammy  Wilson  ran  up  to  Myrnie  with, 

"  Oh,  teacher,  I  bet  you  can  never,  never  guess  what 
we  got  at  home." 

"  Little  chicks  ?"  asked  Myrnie. 
281 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Nope,  guess  again."  And  Sammy's  hands  were 
clasped  in  delight. 

"  Little  kittens  ?"  she  guessed  again. 

"  Yes,  sir,  our  old  cat's  got  four,  and  I  saw  her  have 
every  one  of  them."  This  threw  some  of  the  bystanders 
into  consternation,  while  some  ran  away  to  giggle;  but 
Myrnie  tactfully  took  little  Sammy  by  the  hand  and  ran 
away  to  join  a  game  of  drop-the-handkerchief. 

Soon  it  was  dinner  time,  and  the  good  wives  were  busy 
spreading  the  contents  of  their  baskets  out  on  white  table 
cloths  on  the  clean  grass.  Eshler  made  a  quantity  of  lem- 
onade, and  in  a  short  time  the  whole  number  of  pic- 
nickers were  seated  about  the  plot  of  ground  covered 
by  the  tablecloths,  and  what  had  they  not  to  eat? 
Everybody  joked,  while  Eshler  saw  that  no  one  was 
neglected,  especially  his  wife,  for  if  she  was  neglected 
he  should  hear  from  her  later.  He  scarcely  had  time 
to  eat  for  passing  about  this  good  thing  or  that,  among 
the  children  or  to  some  bashful  person. 

Myrnie  sat  with  Roy  on  one  side  of  her  and  Grin 
on  the  other,  and  needless  to  say  she  was  not  neglected. 
She  was  making  a  great  show  of  pleasantry  in  order 
to  cover  the  awful  pain  in  her  heart. 

Kate  Bremister  appeared  as  one  who  elbows  her  way 
into  people's  notice.  This  seemed  strange  for  Kate  has 
been  a  great  favorite  always.  She  kept  quiet  and  ap- 
peared worn  and  tired.  While  her  usually  clear  com- 
plexion was  marred  by  brown  splotches.  The  married 
women  looked  at  her  in  a  husli  of  wonder,  horror  and 
pity  in  their  eyes.  Myrnie  had  noticed  one  or  two  of 
them  (who  knew  Becky  well),  talking  with  her  in 
whispers,  and  her  impression  was  that  they  spoke  of 
Kate. 

282 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Don,  too,  had  little  to  offer.  He  stayed  by  Kate 
closely,  and  if  he  tried  to  be  jolly,  as  was  his  usual 
way,  his  jokes  were  failures.  He  could  hardly  carry  a 
laugh  to  a  successful  finish,  for  while  his  face  ought 
still  to  be  smiling,  it  sobered  quickly  and  took  on  an 
expression  of  desolate  sadness.  Now  he  sat  with  his 
back  to  Myraie  and  ate  gingerly,  as  one  who  is  uncon- 
scious of  what  he  does.  No  one  could  know  what  he 
suffered. 

And  now  while  they  enjoy  their  dinner,  it  may  be 
well  to  say  a  word  further  about  Kate. 


283 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


KATE;  Bremister  was  one  of  those  girls  who  wear 
bright  colored  ribbons  in  a  corset  cover  shining  through 
a  thin  white  waist.  Jockey  Club  perfume  was  loud 
about  her  and  she  frizzed  her  hair  on  hot  irons.  Her 
forehead  was  broad  and  low,  and  her  eyes  sparkled 
large  and  soft  in  their  subdued  blackness.  Rings,  ear- 
rings, bracelets  and  jewelry  of  all  kinds  infested  her 
person,  and  red  was  her  favorite  color.  She  looked  like 
a  pretty  gypsy,  with  the  shapely,  brown  arms  always 
bare  to  the  elbow.  She  possessed  the  agility  of  a  cat, 
and  while  she  looked  lean  as  she  climbed  a  hillside  with 
her  long,  graceful  strides,  she  was  really  quite  round, 
having  that  shapely  litheness  of  youth,  being  twenty 
years  old.  She  had  a  full  bosom  and  often  wore  low- 
cut  dresses,  all  out  of  time  and  place.  It  was  reported 
that  once  at  a  dance  at  McCabe,  that  as  she  stooped 
forward  to  pick  up  the  handkerchief  which  she  had 
dropped  in  the  circle  of  the  quadrille,  a  painful  accident 
followed,  which  made  the  girls  blush  and  the  boys 
snicker.  She  only  blushed  a  little,  smiled  and  replaced 
her  corsage  with  a  smothered  oath,  and  went  on  with 
the  dance,  not  in  the  least  disconcerted. 

She  rode  like  a  cowboy,  threw  her  rope,  and  never 
missed  her  steer.  She  was  off  her  pony  and  had  her 
red-hot  iron  on  his  hip  before  the  dazed  creature  knew 

284 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

what  was  happening  to  him.  She  shot  like  a  sportsman, 
swore  like  a  trooper  when  angry,  and  was  never  caught 
reading  a  book.  The  hills  and  the  plains  or  the  back 
of  a  horse  were  calling  too  loudly  to  her.  She  loved  a 
dog  and  worshipped  a  horse,  knowing  a  good  animal  the 
minute  she  saw  one,  and  perhaps  this  had  been  the  one 
bond  that  had  drawn  her  and  Don  Gray  together,  for 
man  never  lived  who  loved  horse  better  nor  who  knew 
a  horse  quicker  than  Don  Gray.  And  about  this,  their 
one  bond  of  sympathy,  their  one  common  absorbing  in- 
terest, had  grown  up  a  love.  Only  horse-fanciers  know 
how  strong  a  bond  this  is.  I  have  known  it  to  take  the 
place  of  love,  even  the  place  of  a  child  in  holding  a  pair 
together,  when  love  was  wanting. 

In  all  these  things  Myrnie  Leston  was  almost  the  op- 
posite. She  wore  nothing  but  modest  white  ribbons  in 
her  corsage  and  never  dressed  out  of  dainty,  simple 
style.  She  had  no  passion  for  dogs  and  horses;  of 
course  she  loved  a  good  horse  or  a  nice  dog,  and  could 
never  endure  to  see  any  creature  suffer  for  want  of 
food  or  otherwise;  but  she  was  destitute  of  that  fellow- 
feeling  with  these  animals,  which  went  even  to  a  kind 
of  communion  with  Kate.  She  cared  nothing  for  jew- 
elry, unless  it  be  of  the  best,  her  language  was  without 
flaw,  and  naturally  she  was  afraid  of  guns,  never  hav- 
ing been  accustomed  to  their  use.  And  as  for  books, 
she  had  read  hundreds  of  them,  classical  and  standard, 
both  poetry  and  prose  and  liked  no  other  pastime  so  well. 

It  is  time  to  return  to  our  picnickers.  Here  sits  Grin, 
eating  his  way  through  one  of  Becky's  delicious  pump- 
kin pies  with  the  remark  to  Myrnie :  "  Pumpkin  pie 
always  has  been  my  favorite  pie,  only  I  hate  to  eat  it 
because  it  smudges  up  my  ears  so  badly."  He  also  re- 

285 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

fused  the  honey  that  Eshler  insisted  on  giving  him,  on 
the  grounds  that  it  got  into  his  eyebrows  and  tangled 
his  hair  all  up.  Presently  he  picked  up  a  piece  of  Lucy 
Morgan's  blackberry  pie  with: 

"  Hey  there,  Lucy,  what  kind  of  seeds  is  this  pie 
made  of?" 

"  Hay  seeds,  of  course,  same  as  are  in  your  hair,"  she 
threw  back  vindictively. 

And  while  they  all  talked  and  laughed  Grin  was  heard 
soon  again, 

"  Tell  that  man  over  there  who  has  such  a  long  face 
to  wash  (meaning  poor,  bald-headed  Eshler),  to  pass 
that  little  girl  some  cake." 

"  Now,  that  is  a  square  meal,"  he  said,  when  he  had 
finished  and  stood  about  with  the  other  men  picking  his 
teeth,  "Makes  an  old  bach  like  me  feel  like  cutting  his 
suspenders  and  going  straight  up." 

Thus  the  men  stood  about  at  ease  and  comfort,  or  sat 
on  the  grass  lazily,  while  the  women  cleared  away  the 
remains  of  the  feast. 

"  How  is  the  world  treating  you,  Silvertip?"  Will 
Collins  asked.  "I  have  not  seen  you  since  the  dance." 

"  Oh,  I'm  treating  myself  better  these  days  than  I 
used  to,  and  I  find  when  I  treat  myself  well,  I  have  no 
trouble  with  the  world." 

"  But  is  it  true  that  you  are  on  the  water  wagon  for 
sure,  as  they  tell  me?" 

"  Well,  I'm  on  till  I  fall  off,  I  reckon.  A  feller  who 
has  hit  booze  as  hard  as  I  have,  can't  say  for  sure  what 
he  will  do." 

"  Heard  Joe's  cook  wiped  up  the  streets  of  Myer  with 
you  last  time  you  was  over;  that  true?" 

"  Joe's  kitchen  mechanic  and  I  did  get  busy  with  each 
286 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

other,  and  made  a  few  feathers  fly,  but  he  did  not  get 
the  best  of  me.  I  caved  in  about  half  his  slats  on  his 
larboard  side  before  I  finished  with  him." 

When  the  meal  was  cleared  away,  and  the  baskets 
again  placed  under  their  respective  wagon-seats,  some- 
body proposed  the  ascent  of  Eshler's  Peak,  the  base  of 
which  stood  only  a  half  mile  from  the  picnic  grounds, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  whole  band  were  traveling  in 
that  direction.  Even  the  grown  folks  acted  like  children, 
racing  to  certain  points  and  challenging  each  other  to 
all  sorts  of  feats.  Becky  Moore  and  Jim  Bailey  ran  a 
desperate  foot  race  to  a  mesquite  bush  in  front  of  them, 
and  you  can  bet  on  it  that  Becky  won  the  race. 

Kate  and  Don  still  kept  close  together.  He  helped 
her  over  the  rough  places  tenderly,  and  the  sight  of 
this  sent  an  ache  to  Myrnie's  heart  that  was  hard  to 
bear.  She  could  not  stay  with  Roy,  who  fain  would 
have  lingered  by  her  side.  She  ran  away  with  Grin, 
for  this  was  the  most  diverting  pastime  she  could  de- 
vise and  poor  Grin  took  this  for  a  sign  of  special  favor 
in  his  case.  He  kept  up  a  constant  flow  of  surprising 
wit,  which,  despite  the  girrs  anxiety,  kept  her  laughing. 
Grin  was  at  his  best,  and  as  Doc  Manhart  said,  "He 
pranced  gaily  along,  far  out  ahead  of  himself,  his  coat 
barely  hanging  on  the  pits  of  his  shoulders." 

Grin  felt  sure,  very  sure,  that  Myrnie  was  beginning 
to  love  him.  He  would  show  these  hammerheads  after 
all.  Surely  God  was  on  his  side  to-day,  he  told  himself. 

The  summit  of  the  peak  to  which  they  were  going 
was  crowned  by  an  outcropping  of  iron,  which  stood 
in  a  rim  around  the  outer  edge  like  a  wall.  On  top 
of  this  natural  battlement  some  prehistoric  race  had 
built  a  rock  wall  four  feet  high.  Perhaps  it  was  the 

287 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Aztecs,  for  that  aesthetic  race  roamed  over  this  part  of 
the  States  before  the  days  of  Cortez.  It  was  evident 
that  some  warlike  tribe  had  built  this  means  of  defence. 
Loopholes  had  been  left  in  the  wall  at  intervals,  and 
could  be  seen  now  by  those  making  the  ascent,  though 
much  of  the  artificial  wall  had  fallen  down. 

There  was  but  one  place  at  which  one  could  reach 
the  table  land  on  the  top  of  this  peak,  and  this  was  a 
narrow  defile  up  between  two  huge  bowlders,  but  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  shrubs  of  tough  greasewood  and 
scrub  cedar  that  grew  firm-rooted  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks  up  this  defile,  I  doubt  if  anyone  could  have  reached 
the  top.  But  if  one  clung  to  these  brush,  stepping  in 
the  niches  of  the  rock,  the  ascent  was  possible  for  grown 
people,  easy  for  young  folks,  and  a  delight  to  the  boy  or 
girl  of  twelve. 

These  shrubs  had  not  been  in  existence  when  the  an- 
cient race  used  this  tower  of  defence.  No  doubt  they 
had  employed  ladders  made  of  rawhide  or  of  bear-grass, 
which  they  took  up  and  let  down  at  will.  What  a  point 
of  vantage  this  must  have  been  to  whatever  belligerent 
race  that  held  it.  A  scope  of  country  for  a  hundred 
miles  could  have  been  guarded  by  the  outlooks  on  the 
top  of  the  wall.  If  an  enemy  attempted  an  attack,  they 
would  have  been  discovered  hours  before  they  reached 
even  the  base  of  the  tower.  And  if  they  tried  to  ascend 
and  take  the  fort,  it  would  have  been  an  easy  matter 
to  crush  them  by  hurling  stones  from  the  wall  above. 
If  a  pack  train  with  provisions  crossed  the  valley,  far  or 
near,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  keep  an  eye  on  them,  to 
locate  them  at  night  by  their  camp-fires,  and  to  scurry 
down  while  the  guileless  victims  slept,  surprising  them 
and  plundering  their  camp. 

288 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

But  imagine  Becky  Moore  being  helped  up  this  steep 
place  by  a  dozen  men.  She  did  not  scream  out  and 
giggle  as  the  young  girls  did.  No,  Becky  clung  and 
climbed  desperately,  with  red  face  covered  by  beads  of 
perspiration,  and  even  if  her  dress  did  slip  up  to  the 
great  bend  and  show  her  left,  had  not  Becky  a  perfect 
right?  But  the  real  fun  was  when  Aunt  Sally  was 
dragged  up.  Aunt  Sally  weighed  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds.  I  refuse  a  description  of  this. 

The  most  surprising  event  of  the  day  was  that  Kate 
Bremister  had  to  be  helped  up  this  place.  Kate  Bre- 
mister  helped  to  climb,  she  who  had  been  reared  among 
rocks  and  hills  and  had  scaled  every  cliff  in  the  country 
for  many  miles  around.  This  sent  the  married  women's 
heads  together  again  in  whispered  conversation. 

Now  every  one  has  gained  the  top.  Let  us  enjoy  the 
view  with  them,  but  first  examine  the  ground  at  hand. 
There  is  more  space  on  top  than  one  would  suspect  who 
viewed  the  peak  from  its  base,  perhaps  in  all  two  acres 
of  level  rock,  while  here  and  there  a  little  plot  of  earth 
filled  a  depression  where  weeds  and  flowers  grew  and 
even  bloomed  in  the  rainy  season.  In  the  center  of  the 
space  stood  the  ruins  of  a  huge  stone  house,  a  crude 
fort,  built  no  doubt  in  defence  against  storm  and  the 
sun's  extreme  summer  heat.  To  the  east  and  to  the  west 
of  this  house  were  two  long  paths,  worn  down  a  little 
lower  than  the  surrounding  ground.  These  were  the 
paths  in  which  the  ancient  people  performed  their 
grotesque  dances  to  the  sun,  for  Sun  Worshippers  they 
were.  The  path  to  the  east  was  for  the  worship  of  the 
rising  sun  and  that  to  the  west  for  the  death  of  Sol. 

The  infinite  stretch  of  desert  lay  far  below  and  all 
around.  It  wandered  away  to  the  west,  to  meet  the  high 

289 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

broken  mesas,  dim  and  misty  in  their  varied  color  of 
rock.  To  the  east,  where  the  valley  narrowed  into  a 
long  pointed  sword  between  the  converging  mountains, 
could  be  seen  the  deep,  flinty  sides  of  the  canon  that  the 
Ague  Frio  had  cut  through  the  low  pass  in  the  moun- 
tains. To-day  a  herd  of  antelope  could  be  seen  feeding 
up  toward  the  end  of  the  valley,  but  they  were  far  away 
and  appeared  not  larger  than  chickens.  Sometimes 
those  who  were  more  fortunate  met  the  drove  of  wild 
camels  which  Fate  had  placed  in  this  region.  These 
creatures  when  encountered  in  the  desert  do  not  run 
away;  they  stand  and  stare  drowsily,  or  else  do  not  no- 
tice one  at  all,  seeming  to  know  by  that  power  of  oriental 
instinct,  which  they  bring  with  them  from  the  sands  of 
Arabia  or  from  the  great  Sahara,  that  they  are  protected 
by  law,  having  been  brought  to  this  country  in  the  early 
days  of  Western  settlement,  in  the  hope  that  they  would 
prove  useful  ships  of  the  desert  on  this  side.  But  the 
manner  of  man  on  this  side  did  not  understand,  and  had 
no  patience  with  the  slowness  of  the  creatures.  When 
the  animals  were  found  to  be  unavailable,  they  were  lib- 
erated to  roam  the  desert  and  to  multiply  in  their  slow 
way,  having  been  supplanted  by  the  mule  and  the  burro. 
It  is  both  a  surprising  and  an  inspiring  sight  to  meet 
these  graceful  creatures  in  an  American  desert,  and 
brings  to  one's  mind  all  the  stories  ever  read  about  the 
caravans  in  the  sandy  wastes  of  the  Orient 

Our  friends  looked  about  them  with  interest.  The 
majority  of  them  had  been  to  this  place  before,  but  this 
did  not  prevent  them  from  growing  silent  and  thought- 
ful as  though  the  spirit  of  a  vanished  race  still  lingered 
round  the  spot. 

Don  Gray  stood  apart  from  the  rest  on  the  top  of  the 
290 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

wall,  seeming  to  be  lost  in  a  maze  of  regrets  and  hazy 
imaginings,  as  his  eyes  met  the  misty  distance' over  the 
tops  of  the  countless  ranges  of  mountains  that  lay  in 
folds  and  wrinkles  till  the  eye  failed  to  follow  minute 
details  in  the  distance. 

I  can  not  tell  what  Myrnie's  thoughts  were.  She  too 
sat  on  the  top  of  the  wall  at  the  opposite  side  of  the 
circle,  looking  far  away  at  nothing,  as  though  her 
thoughts  were  adrift. 

"  This  makes  one  feel  like  being  a  poet,"  Roy  Gray 
remarked  to  Kate,  as  he  came  where  she  sat  on  a  rock, 
her  head  bowed,  her  eyes  on  the  ground. 

"  That's  one  of  the  things  I've  lain  in  the  night  and 
dreamt  about,"  put  in  Grin,  and  his  words  brought  ev- 
ery one  back  to  reality.  "There  is  no  use  in  being  a 
poet  or  a  novelist.  There  is  just  one  trouble  about  it, 
and  that  is  that  you  enjoy  it  all  before  you  get  it.  If 
you  could  only  wait  till  your  book  was  published  and 
you  had  the  money,  before  you  enjoy  the  money  and  the 
fame,  there  would  be  some  sense  in  it,  but — hell !  I 
wrote  a  book  once.  Before  I  had  finished  the  first  chap- 
ter of  it  I  had  enjoyed  the  fame  and  the  money  in  my 
mind.  I  had  my  mansion  on  the  Hudson,  had  lived 
three  weeks  with  the  actress  I  had  married,  and  was 
whizzing  around  in  my  big  red  automobile.  Well,  the 
damned  book  kind  of  dragged  after  that,  but  I  finished 
it  and  sent  it  to  some  publisher — about  a  dozen  different 
concerns,  but  none  of  them  would  have  anything  to  do 
with  it.  Finally  I  burnt  the  manuscript  and  there  is 
where  I  threw  up  the  cheese  on  bein'  a  novelist.  What 
was  the  use?  I  had  been  the  novelist  in  my  mind  and 
I  wrote  and  told  some  of  the  derned  publishers1  so,  too." 

Few  took  much  stock  in  what  Grin  had  said.  Some 
291 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

one  said  "Puff,"  but  no  one  else  took  any  notice  except 
Don  and  Myrnie.  They  exchanged  glances  of  under- 
standing and  smiled  in  mutual  appreciation.  This 
speech  gave  them  another  glimpse  into  the  mystery  of 
Grin's  nature,  and  eased  the  pain  in  both  their  hearts 
since  they  had  enjoyed  one  moment  of  understanding  on 
common  ground.  After  that  the  situation  seemed  a  little 
less  tense. 

Of  course,  Becky  Moore  had  to  add  her  remark,  and  it 
was,  "Well,  I  don't  want  any  novelists  or  poets  or  such 
like  among  my  children.  I  am  satisfied  if  they  make 
good,  common  clod-hoppers." 

Now  it  was  time  to  go  home,  and  down  the  mountain 
they  commenced  to  file.  Myrnie  and  Grin  keeping  a 
little  in  advance  of  the  others.  All  were  running  or 
skipping,  for  the  hill  was  steep,  and,  as  Milly  Moore 
said,  it  was  hard  to  keep  one's  break  on.  A  dismal 
rattling  sound  came  from  the  ground  at  Myrnie's  feet, 
and  every  one  knew  what  it  was  at  once,  for  this  is  a 
sound,  once  heard,  never  forgotten. 

"  Rattlesnake,"  yelled  several  at  the  same  time,  but 
before  anyone  could  say  "scat,"  Grin  had  snatched 
Myrnie  in  his  arms  and  off  her  feet,  and  well  that  he  did, 
for  the  snake  was  coiling  to  strike.  Then,  a  dozen  men 
commenced  throwing  stones  at  the  startled  reptile,  and 
it  squirmed  toward  Kate.  She  swooned,  but  came  back 
to  consciousness  quickly  and  saw  Sour-dough  Wilson 
pinning  the  serpent  to  the  ground,  where  it  soon  de- 
parted this  life. 

Grin  stepped  before  Myrnie  with  a  great  show  of  feel- 
ing and  shouted,  "Girl,  I've  saved  your  life,  but  I  don't 
expect  you  to  fall  in  love  with  me  for  it,  as  the  sayin' 
goes.  I'd  have  done  the  same  thing  for  a  nigger,  so 

292 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

you  are  under  no  obligations  to  me  and  that's  the  kind 
of  a  feller  I  am." 

Now,  the  killing  of  a  snake  was  a  common  affair 
among  these  people.  Kate  Bremister  had  killed  many 
of  them  herself  without  a  tremor,  but  to-day  she  fainted 
at  the  sight  of  one.  This  sent  together  again  the  heads 
of  the  married  women,  the  old  hens. 

But  the  cowboys  picked  Grin  up  and  carried  him  on 
their  shoulders  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  because  of  his 
gallant  speech.  He  bore  the  ride  in  anger,  kicking  and 
pulling  hair  and  swearing  in  an  undertone.  What  did 
it  matter  if  John  Alexander  did  get  a  bloody  nose?  He 
and  others  were  having  their  fun  at  Grin's  expense, 
and  that  was  worth  such  a  price. 

The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  when  our 
friends  reached  their  wagons,  they  piled  in  and  hurried 
home,  having  that  spent  feeling  which  always  comes 
in  the  wake  of  a  picnic. 

Kate  and  Don  rode  home  almost  in  silence  and  Kate 
could  feel  that  there  was  a  great  distance  between  them, 
while  she  readily  divined  its  cause.  I  would  rather  not 
tell  you  of  the  temptations  that  struggled  in  Don's  mind 
as  they  drove  by  the  dangerous,  deep  canyons  along 
the  Ague  Frio,  and  when  he  looked  down  into  these, 
the  Devil's  eggs  of  crime  hatched  in  nis  brain,  but  he 
thought  of  Myrnie  and  was  ashamed  and  crushed  them 
all.  Give  him  some  credit  for  that.  But,  Oh,  how  he 
wished  that  things  were  different  and  that  he  had 
known  Myrnie  a  few  months  sooner,  before  he  had  tied 
his  hands  by  an  engagement. 


293 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Miss  Leston  had  the  privilege  of  riding  Bob  Moore's 
horse  Buck  when  she  choose.  She  had  never  cared 
particularity  for  this  pastime,  as  it  was  too  rough  and 
hard,  and  the  sun  tanned  and  the  wind  blistered  her 
tender  skin.  However,  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day 
after  the  picnic,  she  asked  Bob  to  saddle  Buck,  and  feel- 
ing that  she  must  have  action,  some  decided  action. 

Over  the  plain  alone  she  flew.  Buck  had  been  stand- 
ing in  the  stable  for  several  days  and  wanted  exercise, 
and  so  was  soon  on  a  dead  run ;  it  seemed  as  if  nothing 
could  stop  him.  On  he  rushed,  through  weeds  and 
shrubs,  for  miles,  till  he  came  to  the  draw  where  the 
willows  and  tall  cat-claws  grew,  and  into  these  he 
dashed,  while  they  clung  to  her  skirts  and  tore  her 
dress  as  she  dashed  through.  She  was  not  rider  enough 
to  use  both  hands  on  the  rein,  but  had  to  cling  to  the 
horn  of  the  saddle  with  one  hand,  to  keep  from  going 
over  the  horse's  head.  The  horse  was  fast  gaining- 
mastery  over  her  and  she  knew  it  as  well  the  horse  did. 
Her  hat  was  gone,  her  hair  down  and  flying  to  the 
wind.  She  had  no  idea  how  far  she  had  gone,  and 
was  beginning  to  wonder  how  it  would  ever  end,  when 
suddenly  a  man  on  a  fine  black  mare  dashed  up  beside 
her  and  had  her  horse  by  the  bits  in  an  instant,  soon 
bringing  him  to  a  halt. 

294 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Myrnie  turned  to  thank  her  rescuer  but  recoiled  on 
discovering  that  it  was  Don  Gray.  Striking  his  hand 
with  her  whip  so  as  to  leave  a  red  mark,  she  demanded, 

"  Let  my  horse  go  !" 

"  He  is  running  with  you  and  would  throw  you.  I 
know  this  horse,  and  Bob  Moore  is  a  fool  to  let  you 
ride  the  brute  alone.  I  have  followed  you  for  three 
miles,  and  no  telling  how  this  would  have  turned  out 
if  I  had  not  seen  you.  Fashion  can  overtake  any  horse 
in  Arizona." 

"  Let  my  horse  go,  I  say.  I  was  running  to  please 
myself." 

"Now,  Myrnie,  you  know  you  were  not.  I  will  not 
let  go.  You  could  not  hold  this  horse." 

"  Go  away  and  leave  me,  I  tell  you."    She  was  angry. 

"  I  will  not  do  that  either,"  was  his  reply. 

"What  will  it  please  you  to  do  then,  Don  Gray?" 

"  It  will  please  me  to  stay  here  and  talk  to  you." 

"  Talk  to  me  in  secret  on  the  range,  but  be  careful 
that  a  pair  of  black  eyes  do  not  see  you." 

"  I  wish  the  whole  world  would  see  me  with  you  to- 
night, whether  red,  green  or  black  eyes,  now  that  I 
am  free." 

"  Has  some  one  had  strings  on  you  ?"  she  asked  with 
sarcasm. 

"  No,  not  strings,  but  cables.  But  the  cables  are 
broken  now.  Read  this  letter,"  and  he  held  the  paper 
toward  her. 

Myrnie  took  the  letter  and  this  is  what  she  read, 
Don: — In  accordance   with  your  request,   I  return 

your  ring.     I  would  keep  it,  only  I  have  no  place  to 

put  it. — Kate. 

As  Myrnie  looked  up  from  the  paper,  her  eyes  held 
295 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Don's  for  a  moment,  then  she  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands  and  broke  into  a  nervous  laugh.  In  spite  of 
her  determination  to  be  angry  she  was  so  happy.  She 
was  so  glad  the  note  had  said,  "In  accordance  with 
your  request."  She  took  her  hands1  down  from  her  face 
and  gave  the  letter  back  to  him  and  said, 

"  Really,  it  is  a  very  well  written  letter,  Don,  and  I 
can't  help  admiring  Kate  when  I  read  it." 

"  Kate  is  all  right,  Myrnie.  Kate  is  a  good  girl,  a 
fine  good  girl,  but  it  seems  she  is  not  the  right  girl  for 
me.  I  once  thought  that  I  never  could  grow  tired  of 
her  love.  Now  I  see  what  an  awful  mistake  I  have 
made.  But  I  cannot  help  it.  The  mistake  is  made 
and  it  will  have  to  take  care  of  itself.  You  have  taught 
me  a  new  kind  of  love.  Oh,  Myrnie,  a  new  kind  of 
love."  Don's  face  shone  as  he  leaned  toward  her. 

"Oh,  you  did  love  her  then?" 

"  I  think  I  did,  Myrnie,  as  much  as  I  knew  how  to 
love  any  one  at  that  time.  But  I  have  grown,  grown 
a  million  years  in  love  since  then." 

"How  long  since  you  ceased  to  love  her?"  (Observe 
how  well  the  general  surveys  her  field  of  battle.) 

"  Since  that  night  when  I  saw  you  in  Prescott." 

'  'You  never  saw  me  in  Prescott,  Don  Gray."  Myr- 
nie's  head  was  on  one  side,  in  her  most  saucy  attitude, 
for  she  felt  that  she  was  master  of  the  situation;  but 
she  certainly  was  not  prepared  for  what  he  said  next. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Myrnie ;  don't  you  remember  the  night  of 
the  fire,  when  I  threw  the  rope  over  the  bed  post?" 

"  Oh,  Don,  Don !"  and  she  caught  her  breath  with 
difficulty.  "Of  course,  that  was  you!  Now  I  know 
it  was;  now  I  understand  it  all.  Now  I  know  who  I 
loved  that  night,  it  was  you  all  the  time,  you — not 

296 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Fred."     She  was  quite  overcome  with  delight  and  Don 
drew  his  steed  up  close  to  her  and  took  her  hands. 

"  Myrnie,  I  have  known  you  all  this  time.  I  left 
Prescott  two  days  after  the  fire,  but  in  that  two  days 
I  tried  every  way  I  could  think  of  to  find  you.  How  I 
longed  for  you! — and  that  smile  of  understanding  and 
appreciation  you  gave  me,  and  you  touched  me  with 
this  little  hand."  He  was  covering  her  hand  with 
kisses  when  their  horses  commenced  biting  at  each 
other  and  fighting,  as  horses  sometimes  will  do  at  such 
times.  The  lovers  dismounted,  and  tying  their  horses 
to  the  ground,  cowboy  fashion,  they  walked  away.  He 
took  her  hand  again. 

"  I  am  sure,"  he  went  on,  "that  nothing  but  the 
strength  of  my  longing  for  you  brought  you  out  here, 
and  I  was  ?o  greatly  surprised,  and  yet  it  seemed  so 
natural,  when  I  saw  it  was  you  that  day  at  Myer.  But 
you  did  not  know  me,  and  I  have  wanted  you  to  dis- 
cover me.  I  have  loved  you  all  the  time." 

"  Then  why  have  you  hung  after  Kate  all  the  time 
since  I  have  been  out  here.  I  could  hate  you  for  that " 

"  Kate  has  had  strings  on  me  of  late,  and  one  must 
be  careful  how  he  deals  with  Kate.  I  had  to  bring  her 
to  just  the  right  pass  to  manage  her  and  it  took  a  long 
time." 

"  Then  that  proves  that  she  had  a  power  over  you, 
which  shows  that  you  are  weak  and  afraid,  and  I  do 
not  like  weak  cowards."  She  drew  her  hand  away  with 
a  jerk  and  fastened  up  her  glorious  hair. 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  Myrnie,  don't,  don't,  please.  You  can't 
understand  yet  for  awhile,"  and  he  took  her  in  his  arms 
while  she  struggled  to  get  away;  but  he  managed  her 
and  covered  her  face  with  kisses. 

297 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Once  conquered,  she  was  as  gentle  as  a  lamb.  She 
turned  toward  him,  put  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and 
drawing  his  face  down  to  her  own,  kissed  him  in  the 
sweetest  possible  manner.  (This  was  what  she  had 
been  wanting  to  do  for  so  long!) 

The  twilight  drew  on,  the  wind  tossed  about  among 
the  willows  and  cat-claws,  and  a  cactus  bird  was  sing- 
ing the  sweetest  song  ever  heard.  And  there  they  stood. 
Don't  ask  me  what  they  did  or  said!  They  were  two 
young  lovers  in  that  supreme  moment  when  they  find 
each  other. 

"  I  was  on  my  way  to  tell  you  all,"  he  told  her  as  they 
rode  homeward,  "and  to  ask  you  to  go  away  with  me 
soon.  We  could  go  on  the  evening  of  the  last  day  ot 
your  school,  only  a  week  away.  I  will  come  with  a  car- 
riage as  though  I  am  to  take  you  and  your  trunk  to 
Myer,  but  instead  of  going  to  Myer,  we  will  turn  of 
the  McCabe  road  and  will  be  in  Prescott  in  the  morn- 
ing. We  can  be  married  there,  and  go  on  to  Denver. 
After  a  while  we  can  come  back  here  if  you  wish. 
Mother  and  Roy  would  get  used  to  the  thought  after  a 
time,  and  so  would  Kate.  Just  at  present  it  would 
throw  them  into  consternation  and  make  us  lots  of 
trouble.  I  have  plenty  of  money.  Will  you  go  with 
me,  Myrnie?" 

She  just  looked  at  him  and  smiled  and  nodded  her 
head  for  yes.  Then  after  a  little  she  said, 

"  But  I  should  prefer  never  to  return  here.  I  have 
learned  since  I  knew  you  that  I  never  could  love  Fred 
Harmon  again,  and  I  do  not  care  to  see  him  now.  He 
is  so  much  older  than  I,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  been 
married  and  has  a  child  separates  us.  I  want  someone 

298 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

near  my  own  age  with  whom  I  can  grow  and  develop 
equally." 

"  I  will  tell  Grin  about  the  hidden  treasure  in  the 
caves,"  Don  said,  "and  he  will  be  delighted  to  be  the 
peacemaker.  We  shall  leave  peace  among  the  Hammer- 
heads at  any  rate !"  And  they  relieved  their  tense  feel- 
ings by  laughing  freely. 

All  their  plans  were  laid  carefully.  Myrnie  com- 
menced doing  little  things  that  would  go  toward  being 
ready  on  the  eventful  night,  and  she  could  hardly  con- 
trol her  happy  thoughts.  Don's  hands  were  as  busy  as 
his  brain,  still  he  was  a  little  uneasy.  The  days  did  not 
fly  fast  enough  to  suit  him.  He  was  a  little  uncomfor- 
table all  the  time,  being  too  eager  to  get  away.  Little 
did  he  realize  how  much  was  to  happen  in  the  next  few 
days. 

On  the  evening  of  the  last  Thursday,  before  the  close 
of  school,  Grin  made  his  way  to  the  school-house  with 
the  mission  of  his  life  in  his  hands.  He  had  no  doubt 
but  that  he  would  meet  with  success,  and  these  were  to 
be  the  last  really  happy  sane  moments  Grin  was  ever  to 
spend.  His  purpose  was  to  find  Myrnie  alone,  but  three 
of  the  school  children  still  remained,  loth  to  part  from 
their  beloved  teacher,  who  was  to  be  gone  from  among 
them  so  soon. 

Grin  stepped  inside  the  house  without  a  word,  and 
stood  looking  at  Myrnie.  She  and  those  about  her 
looked  up  in  surprise  to  see  the  expression  which  rested 
on  his  face ;  a  look  of  half  hope  and  pleasure,  half  pain. 
It  went  from  his  face  quickly  as  Myrnie  arose  and  said, 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  Mr.  Oliver  ?" 

"  I  want  to  see  you,"  Grin  faltered.  His  face  was 
now  abashed,  but  red  and  freckled  as  of  old. 

299 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Very   well,"   she   said,    stepping  near  him. 

l<  Yes,  Miss  Leston,  but  I  want  to  see  you  vacantly," 
awkwardly  fumbling  with  his  hat.  At  this  the  children 
hurried  away  giggling,  and  the  two  were  left  alone. 

"  What  do  you  wish  to  say  ?"  she  asked,  wishing  to 
help  him  out  of  the  embarassment  which  bound  him. 

"That's  jest  it.  What  do  I  want  to  say?  I  know 
well  enough  but  I  do  not  know  how  to  commence  the 
thing." 

The  girl  felt  very  sorry  for  Grin,  but  she  did  not  sus- 
pect his  purpose  at  all. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  when  school  is  out  ?"  he 
asked,  after  a  whole  minute  of  silence. 

"  I  have  hardly  decided  yet  but  I  am  going  to  Pres- 
cott  first." 

"  You  goin'  to  teach  here  next  year  ?" 

"  The  trustees  have  asked  me  to  do  so,  but  I  have 
not  decided  yet." 

"  Better  come  up  to  the  sheep  camp  and  spend  the 
summer  with  me." 

She  looked  at  him  in  horror,  and  seeing  this  and  un- 
derstandng  her,  he  added  quickly,  "as  my  wife,  you 
know,  of  course." 

"  How  preposterous !"  she  exclaimed,  showing  her 
disgust. 

"  You  are  not  too  good  for  me.  I  can  tell  you  that. 
I  saw  you  with  that  Don  Gray.  Guess  you  want  him." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?" 

"  Oh,  just  because  I  have  got  such  a  good  guesser. 
.He  thinks  I  have  no  say-so,  but  I'll  let  him  know  that 
my  say-so  is  worth  as  much  as  his  say-so.  You  think" 
he  is  an  angel.  Lots  of  girls  think  that.  I  could  tell 


300 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

you  something  about  him,  but  I  won't,  that  you  would 
be  surprised  to  hear  from  a  Dutchman." 

"  I  fail  to  understand  you.  Why  do  you  come  to  me 
like  this?" 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  be  plainer.  I  love  you.  Understand 
that?  I  want  to  marry  you.  Understand  that?  I  am 
a  pure  man.  Understand  that?  But  I  guess  the  world 
ain't  lookin'  for  virgins  to-day,  neither  he-virgins  nor 
she-virgins.  But  now  I've  had  my  say-so  and  you  can 
do  as  you  please  with  it." 

"  I  have  always  valued  your  friendship,  and  appreci- 
ated your  many  kindnesses  to  me,  but  I  never  thought 
of  loving  you.  I  do  not  care  for  you  in  that  way  at  all, 
so  let  that  be  an  end  of  this." 

"  You  are  the  doctor,  mam.  I  am  glad  you  have  liked 
me.  And  if  you  ever  to  marry,  I  hope  you  are  happy." 
He  turned  and  walked  away  hurriedly. 

The  bewildered  girl  looked  about  her  vacantly,  wiped 
away  the  moisture  that  had  come  to  her  eyes,  and  sit- 
ting down  to  her  desk,  laid  her  head  on  her  arms  on  the 
desk,  and  laughed  herself  almost  into  hysteria.  She 
arose  and  walked  rapidly  home,  only  to  find  more 
tumult  there. 

Grin  walked  home  with  his  heart  way  down,  down. 
He  felt  that  he  had  done  it  all  wrong  and  had  lost.  But 
he  called  his  philosophy  to  his  aid  and  was  too  egotist- 
ical in  this  philosophy  to  despair  altogether. 

He  turned  and  looked  behind  him  when  he  had 
reached  the  hilltop,  and  saw  Myrnie  climbing  the  slope 
behind  the  school-house.  He  snapped  his  fingers  at  her 
and  said,  "Let'er  go  as  she  looks,"  and  walked  on,  but 
the  words  cost  him  a  great  effort,  and  tears  commenced 
pouring  from  his  eyes  till  he  could  hardly  see.  He 

301 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

stumbled  and  several  times  almost  fell,  but  gaining  his 
feet  each  time,  and  said,  as  he  wiped  the  moisture 
away,  "darn  the  sweat!"  And  from  that  time  till  he 
met  his  death  a  few  days  later,  he  wondered  why  that 
sweat  would  come  of  a  sudden,  when  he  was  not  over- 
heated at  all,  and  why  the  sweat  was  accompanied  by 
that  dry  aching  in  the  throat. 

Don  Gray  met  him  on  the  range  the  next  morning, 
as  he  peacefully  tended  his  flocks,  and  sitting  on  a  rock 
opposite  him,  he  commenced, 

"  You  and  I  have  always  been  good  friends,  have  we 
not,  Oliver?" 

Now,  Don  had  never  called  Grin  "Oliver"  before, 
and  the  word  seemed  to  place  restraint  between  them 
and  Don  felt  it  in  the  hush  that  preceded  Grin's  answer. 

"  Friends,  yes,  I  reckon,  but  what  is  it  you  want  me 
to  do  for  you  now,  Don?" 

Don  felt  a  chill  creep  up  his  spine  and  over  his  scalp, 
but  he  waded  in  and  told  of  the  hidden  treasure  in  the 
cave,  and  of  the  part  he  wished  Grin  to  play.  He  had 
planned  this  scene  that  morning  as  he  rode  over  the 
plain;  and  in  his  mind  he  could  see  Grin  rolling  about 
and  laughing.  He  had  expected  that  Grin  would  enjoy 
it  all  immensely. 

But  Grin  only  looked  across  the  valley  away  from 
Don,  and  without  exhibiting  any  surprise  or  emotion, 
answered, 

"  Why,  yes,  if  these  people  have  been  deprived  of 
their  goods  these  three  years,  they  ought  to  have  them 
returned  to  them.  I  will  attend  to  that  for  you,  Don." 

Don  Gray  wished  that  the  earth  would  open  from 
under,  and  swallow  him.  He  sat  awkwardly  kicking 
the  ground  with  the  toe  of  his  shoe. 

302 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Guess  you  are  gettin'  ready  to  leave  this  man's 
country,"  Grin  remarked. 

"  Why  do  you  think  so?"  was  Don's  interrogation. 

"  Because  I've  got  such  a  good  guesser." 

Don  got  up  and  walked  away.  He  took  the  path  that 
led  behind  the  near-by  hill.  He  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  Grin's  watching  him  as  he  walked  away  for 
any  distance.  In  all  his  experience  Don  Gray  had  never 
felt  so  small,  and  weak,  and  mean. 

Grin  was  again  troubled  with  the  sweat  in  his  face, 
but  he  struck  up  an  old  hymn  and  sang  as  loud  as  his 
voice  would  carry.  The  song  echoed  and  re  -  echoed 
about  the  hills  and  the  singer  was  somewhat  comforted. 


303 


CHAPTER  X. 


WHEN  Myrnie  reached  her  boarding  place,  after 
Grin's  declaration,  as  has  already  been  said,  she  met  a 
greater  tumult  than  even  Grin  produced  in  her  heart. 

As  she  came  down  the  hill  before  the  house,  she  saw 
Lucy  Morgan  getting  down  from  her  flea-bitten  gray 
mare.  Myrnie  noticed  as  she  passed  the  animal,  tied 
outside  the  yard  gate,  that  it  was  wet  and  covered  with 
lather.  Now  it  was  only  two  miles  to  Lucy's  house, 
and  the  girl  knew  that  Lucy  must  have  ridden  much 
farther  than  that  and  very  fast  to  bring  her  horse  to 
this  condition.  It  came  to  the  girl's  mind  that  Lucy 
must  have  some  rare  gossip,  and  was  spreading  it  over 
the  community.  A  thought  of  some  serious  neighbor- 
hood trouble  and  Jim  Bailey  associated  themselves  in 
her  mind,  but  when  she  entered  her  room,  she  could 
plainly  hear  Lucy's  voice  from  the  kitchen  saying, 

"  It  was  born  last  night,  weighs  only  eight  pounds 
Eshler  met  Dr.  Parson  this  morning  on  his  way  back 
to  Myer,  and  the  doctor  said  Kate  was  doing  fine,  but 
the  baby  is  awfully  weak.  Said  Mrs.  Bremister  had  sent 
to  Prescott  for  Father  DeLany  to  come  to  christen  the 
baby;  she  is  afraid  it  might  die  unbaptised.  But  I  can 
not  see  what  good  the  priest  can  do  now.  The  mischief 
is  done  and  the  disgrace  is  on  them.0 

A  realization  of  the  terrible  truth  came  flashing  over 

304 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Myrnie,  and  she  felt  as  if  the  ground  under  her  was 
rocking  and  rising  up.  She  caught  a  chair  and  fell  into 
it,  trying  to  think,  but  her  mind  seemed  in  a  hopeless 
whirl.  Then  past  events  came  trooping  to  her  memory 
clearly.  She  thought  of  the  hints  dropped  by  the  mar- 
ried women  on  the  day  of  the  picnic,  remembered  that 
Kate  had  been  so  unlike  herself  and  had  swooned,  that 
Don  had  said  Kate  had  cables  on  him.  She  thought  of 
his  feverish  haste  to  get  away  from  the  neighborhood. 
She  could  see  through  all  this  now,  and  the  realization 
turned  her  soul  to  wormwood. 

Lucy  had  made  a  pause  that  her  hearers  might  grasp 
the  magnitude  of  her  story,  but  now  she  continued : 

"  Kate  Bremister  ought  to  be  drummed  out  of  this 
country  on  a  rail,  and  by  the  married  women  too,  and 
I  am  willing  to  lead  the  crusade.  I  shall  never  look  at 
her  again.  Just  think  how  she  has  deceived  me,  and  I 
have  always  been  her  friend.  I  shudder  to  think  that 
I  kissed  her  the  last  time  I  saw  her.  Ugh!  The  dirty 
thing." 

"  Why,  Lucy,  you  should  not  feel  that  way  about  it," 
Becky  said. 

"  You  don't  think  I  should  ?"  Lucy's  hair  commenced 
to  raise  and  grew  a  shade  redder,  if  possible,  and  she 
raised  out  of  her  chair  a  little  as  she  went  on, 

"  Becky  Moore,  I  have  always  been  virtuous.  My 
poor  old  mother,  who  is  now  in  her  grave,  taught  me 
to  be  virtuous,  and  I  can  say  with  a  clear  conscience 
that  I  am  pure,  pure.  And  do  you  think  a  pure  woman 
should  kiss  a  dirty  hussy  like  that?" 

"  Lucy,  I  am  sure  poor  Kate's  kiss  did  not  soil  your 
spotless  virtue.  I  pity  the  child.  I  have  never  kissed 
Kate,  but  if  I  could  see  her  now,  I  think  I  should." 

305 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Becky  Moore,  I  am  surprised  at  you,"  Lucy  yelled. 

"  Not  that  I  uphold  such  things,  Lucy.  No,  no,  God 
forbid !  But  it  helps  no  one  to  be  so  hard  on  those  who 
make  missteps  in  this  world.  The  girl  is  young,  and 
we  all  know  her  to  be  a  right-meaning  girl.  This  is  but 
a  fatal  misstep,  and  I  think  we  all  ought  to  help  her 
up  so  she  will  avoid  such  again.  That  is  not  the  way 
to  reform  the  world  of  women,  by  throwing  stones  at 
them.  We  never  know  what  may  happen  to  our  own. 
Every  woman,  if  she  is  honest  with  herself,  hearing  of 
such  cases  as  Kate's,  feels  shame  rise  within  her  at  the 
weakness  of  her  sex.  She  feels  sometimes  like  shunning 
the  offender,  but  is  she  worthy  to  do  it?  Are  her  own 
hands  so  entirely  clean?  Has  she  always  been,  is  she 
now,  so  free  from  any  unclean  thought  or  desire  that 
she  can  spurn  this  miserable  woman?  Every  mother 
must  admit  that  the  temptation  that  came  to  this  un- 
fortunate girl  may  come  to  her  own  daughter,  not  per- 
haps in  this  same  form,  but  the  form  is  immaterial. 
Once  John  Wesley,  seeing  a  thief  go  by  him  on  his 
way  to  jail,  followed  by  a  hooting  mob  said,  'But  for 
the  grace  of  a  good  God,  there  goes  John  Wesley.'  And 
I  think  we  may  well  pattern  by  him.  What  mother  of 
us  but  can  say,  hearing  the  story  of  Kate,  'But  for 
God's  mercy,  there  goes  my  own  daughter!'  We  are 
all  of  the  same  blood  in  this  world,  and  the  sins  of  the 
father's  are  visited  unto  the  daughters  as  well  as  unto 
the  sons.  If  only  those  sneered  who  have  never  re- 
ceived God's  mercy  for  themselves  or  for  their  dear 
ones,  who  would  there  be  left  among  us  to  point  the 
finger  of  shame  at  poor  Kate?" 

"  There  would  be  me,  Becky  Moore,  me.  If  none 
else,  then  there  would  be  me !"  Lucy  fairly  hissed  with 

306 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

rage.  "And  here  I  am  to  point  my  finger  at  you,  Becky 
Moore,"  a  long,  slim,  freckled  finger  was  drawn  at 
Becky,  and  there  were  little  tufts  of  red  hairs  between 
the  joints,  "for  I  doubt  your  decency.  How  can  you 
uphold  crime  in  the  face  of  your  own  daughters?" 

Tears  coursed  down  Becky's  cheeks  as  she  answered, 
"Don't  be  too  hard,  Lucy,  not  so  hard.  When  I  think 
of  Kate,  I  say,  God  be  mercyful  to  me,  a  sinner." 

Grace  Moore  went  to  her  mother  and  kissing  her, 
turned  on  Lucy.  The  girl  must  have  lost  control  of 
her  usually  silent  tongue  as  well  as  of  her  temper  as 
she  broke  out, 

"  Do  you  know  who  it  is  that  turns  women  down  in 
this  world  and  makes  it  a  bitter  place  for  them  to  live, 
Aunt  Lucy?" 

"  Yes,  Grace,  it  is  the  whole  world  when  they  do 
wrong." 

"  No,  Aunt  Lucy,  it  is  the  women,  and  do  you  know 
what  class  of  women  it  is?" 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  tell  me  that  it  is  the  women  who 
do  those  things  themselves,  Miss  Grace,"  Lucy  hissed. 

"  No,  Aunt  Lucy,  it  is  the  woman  who  wants  to  do 
those  things  but  has  not  the  independence  nor  the  cour- 
age to  do  them !" 

Lucy  turned  to  Becky,  "Now  listen  to  that,  Becky, 
and  from  your  own  daughter.  I  do  not  intend  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  Kate  Bremister  nor  with  those 
who  approve  of  her." 

"You  do  not  need  to,"  Grace  flashed  out  again, 
"What  can  you  know  about  a  mother's  feelings.  You 
can't  be  a  mother.  We  all  know  you,  Lucy.  I  think 
I  would  rather  be  bad,  bad,  and  do  as  Kate  has  done, 
and  have  a  little  charity  and  love  in  my  heart,  than  to 

307 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

be  like  you  with  your  warped  cold  heart  and  your 
boast  of  virtue!  But  who  knows  whether  you  was  so 
good  or  not?  You  might  have  been  bad  for  all  anyone 
knows.  Nature  had  no  way  to  tell  on  you,  deficient  as 
you  are." 

Becky  arose  and  wiped  her  tears  away,  gently  pushing 
her  daughter  from  the  room  with, 

"  Child,  child,  what  is  all  this  you  are  saying  ?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  care !  She  can't  come  and  talk  to  my 
mother  like  that."  And  Grace  flung  out  of  the  room. 

"  Now,  Lucy,  there  is  no  cause  for  us  to  have  any 
difference  over  this,"  began  Becky,  but  Lucy  interrupted 
with, 

"  You  hear  how  your  daughter  talks  after  your  ex- 
ample. Good-bye,  Becky,  I  hope  the  dear  Lord  will  keep 
you  and  your  daughters  from  evil,  but  I  doubt  it  sore." 
And  flinging  out  of  the  house,  she  straddled  her  gray 
mare  and  galloped  home,  baffled  and  angry. 

Poor  little  Eshler  caught  it  good  and  hard  that  night 
because  he  would  not  promise  never  to  go  within  speak- 
ing distance  of  Kate  Bremister  again.  Lucy  had  gal- 
loped all  over  the  neighborhood  with  her  story,  and 
Becky  was  not  the  only  woman  who  had  pitied  Kate, 
and  Lucy  was  sorely  beset. 

When  Lucy  had  gone,  Myrnie  went  to  the  kitchen, 
where  Becky  sat  paring  potatoes,  and  a  mother's 
sacred  tears  were  falling  on  the  parings,  but  she  looked 
up  at  the  girl  and  smiled  with, 

"  I  am  so  sorry,  child,  that  you  have  heard  this.  I 
wish  you  might  have  gone  away  without  knowing  it." 

"  Oh,  that  makes  no  difference,  Mrs.  Moore.  I  ad- 
mire you  for  the  way  you  look  at  Kate's  misfortune." 

308 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  That  is  the  way  I  see  it,  and  I  never  could  be  a  hyp- 
ocrit.  I  have  offended  Lucy,  and  Lucy  means  well." 

"A  boy  baby,  did  she  say?"  Myrnie  asked  nervously. 

"Yes;  a  little  boy.  My  heart  breaks  for  Kate's 
mother.  She  is  my  best  neighbor." 

"  My  heart  breaks  for  Kate,"  the  girl  told  her. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  charity,  child,  for  it  is  those 
without  it  who  are  most  liable  to  fall/' 

Myrnie  went  to  her  room  and  closed  the  door.  She 
seated  herself  by  the  window  that  looked  down  Dry 
Creek.  She  said  she  did  not  care  for  supper,  and  indeed 
she  forgot  all  matters  of  common  routine,  for  she  did  not 
even  remove  her  clothing  that  night.  It  was  moonlight 
and  a  light  wind  was  playing  about.  The  weeping 
willow  tree  that  stood  by  the  window  rapped  its  long 
arms  lightly  against  the  panes,  and  the  sweet  odor  of 
wild  blooms  came  in  through  the  open  sash.  In  the 
hushes  that  the  wind  made,  a  cactus  bird  sang  out 
strong  and  clear,  as  though  there  were  not  a  sorrow  in 
all  the  earth's  vast  expanse.  But  Myrnie's  eyes  were 
still  dry,  their  lids  burned  with  dryness  and  stared  wide 
open  as  she  sat  repeating  these  immortal  lines  of  Burns : 


Ye  banks  and  braes  o'  bonnie  Doon, 
How  can  ye  bloom  sae  fair: 
How  can  ye  chant,  ye  little  bird, 
And  I  sae  fu'  o'  care! 

Thou'll  break  my  heart,  thou  bonnie  bird 
That  sits  upon  the  bough: 
Thou  minds  me  o'  the  happy  days — 
When  my  fause  Love  was  true. 
309 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Thou'll  break  my  heart,  thou  bonnie  bird, 
That  sings  beside  thy  mate: 
For  sae  I  sat,  and  sae  I  sang 
And  wist  na'  o'  my  fate. 

Aft  hae  I  roved  my  bonnie  Doon 
To  see  the  woodbine  twine, 
And  ilka  bird  sang  o'  its  love; 
And  sae  did  I  o*  mine. 

The  next  morning  the  saddened  girl  appeared  per- 
fectly calm  and  natural.  No  one  knew  of  the  awful 
struggle  and  agony  of  the  night,  as  no  one  knew  of 
her  love  for  Don  Gray. 

At  school  that  last  day  she  was  her  same  sweet  self 
to  the  children.  She  smiled  when  they  came  to  her  ex- 
pressing their  love  for  her,  and  their  regret  of  losing  her. 
But  she  found  it  hard  to  control  her  mind.  There  were 
times  when  she  scarcely  knew  what  she  was  doing.  A 
kind  of  unnatural  haze  filled  her  thoughts,  and  all 
seemed  like  a  dream,  in  which  nothing  mattered  any 
more.  There  was  a  great  sinking  in  her  heart  but  there 
was  no  bitterness  for  anyone,  except  at  moments  when 
little  belated  flames  of  hate  flashed  up  for  Don  Gray. 
These  died  quickly,  and  then  she  could  have  wept  that 
her  heart  could  ever  be  like  that,  for  the  one  who  was 
altogether  lovely.  It  seemed  then  that  he  was  dearer 
to  her  than  ever  before. 

Evening  came  somehow.  This  was  the  evening  that 
she  was  to  have  gone  away,  and  she  realized  how  differ- 
ently she  should  be  feeling  now  if  she  had  not  heard. 
She  bade  her  pupils  a  loving  good-bye,  kissing  every 
one  of  them,  even  to  big  Ora  Pittner,  and  walked  home- 

310 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ward  over  the  hill — the  dear,  familiar  way.  Every  little 
bush,  every  cactus,  every  turn  in  the  path  were  so  well 
known  to  her.  This  same  path  had  always  been  a  way 
of  gladness  to  her,  but  this  last  time  it  was  a  bridge  of 
sighs.  Her  step  was  slow  and  heavy,  and  now  and 
then  she  struck  her  foot  against  a  stone.  Her  feet  had 
been  so  light  on  this  path  before.  Sfie  noticed  all  the 
land-marks  along  the  way,  and  said  good-bye  to  them. 
Her  thoughts  were  a  mingling  of  many  things,  and  were 
sad,  infintely  sad. 

Clouds  had  been  gathering,  appearing  and  disappear- 
ing for  several  days,  and  during  the  evening  there  had 
been  hints  of  thunder  and  lightning.  Little  ribbons  of 
fire  flashed  here  and  there  along  the  horizon  and  then 
came  to  her  ears  distant  rumblings,  which  Myrnie  had 
taught  the  children  to  call  Henry  Hudson  playing  at 
nine-pins. 


CHAPTER  XL 


ARIZONA  is  a  land  of  extremes.  There  is  a  well- 
founded  adage  among  old  settlers  in  the  Territory,  that 
"when  it  rains  in  Arizona,  it  pours.'*  This  may  be  in- 
terpreted in  many  different  ways,  for  when  drouth 
comes  in  Arizona,  it  is  dry,  dry  and  a  long  time  dry; 
when  hard  luck  strikes  you  in  Arizona,  it  strikes  you 
hard;  or,  when  you  strike  it  in  Arizona,  you  strike  it 
big  rich,  etc.  This  is  no  half-way  place. 

When  Myrnie  reached  the  ranch  house  that  evening-, 
she  found  Grin  sitting  on  the  veranda  with  Becky  and 
the  children,  discussing  the  prospect  of  the  much-needed 
rain.  The  girl  feared  that  he  had  come  to  renew  his 
proposal,  but  she  changed  her  mind  on  this  point  when 
he  greeted  her,  for  his  eye  met  hers,  honest  and  straight- 
forward, unflinching. 

She  sat  down  with  them  to  rest  for  awhile,  feeling 
that  their  honest  hearts  were  a  comfort. 

"  I  smell  a  flood,"  said  Grin,  jumping  to  his  feet  and 
trotting  out  into  the  yard,  holding  up  his  nose  and  sniff- 
ing the  breeze,  like  a  dog,  as  it  came  down  from  the 
eastern  end  of  the  valley. 

"  Smell  a  flood  ?"  said  Myrnie,  "What  can  you 
mean  ?" 

"  I  mean  that  I  smell  a  flood,"  persisted  the  sheep- 
herder,  "Can't  you  see  that  it's  rainin'  up  there  in  the 

312 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

mountains  forty  or  fifty  miles  from  here,  and  it's  been 
rainin'  up  there  nearly  all  day.  See  how  the  clouds 
seem  to  come  together  and  pitch  and  fight  each  other, 
and  then  pour  down  on  the  mountains.  That  is  sure 
to  send  a  flood  down  here." 

"  How  far  away  is  the  flood?"  she  asked  him. 

"  Oh,  I  should  say  twenty  miles.  It  will  be  three  or 
four  hours  before  it  gets  down  here,  I  should  think; 
but  a  flood  is  sure  comin',  and  mind  my  word,  she  is  a 
big  one.  I  can  smell  it  plain." 

"  But  how  could  you  smell  it  if  it  were  twenty  miles 
away?"  she  persisted,  laughing  at  the  idea. 

"All  Hassayampers  and  Hammerheads  can  smell 
floods  even  if  school  ma'ms  can't,"  Grin  added,  a  little 
vexed  because  she  doubted  his  word.  And  then  he 
went  on  in  a  mild  way,  "The  sense  of  smell  gets  mighty 
keen  in  these  high,  dry  altitudes,  same  as  the  brutes. 
But  it  is  like  this.  A  flood  in  this  country  sweeps  be- 
fore it  much  filth.  You  see  horses  and  cattle,  as  well  as 
other  animals,  go  to  the  river  during  a  drouth  to  get  the 
water,  that  sometimes  stands  in  the  deep  holes  along 
the  river  bed,  and  finding  it  not,  they  die  there.  And 
when  the  flood  comes,  it  pushes  all  this  ahead  and  that 
singular  kind  of  breeze  that  travels  miles  in  advance  of 
the  flood,  carries  these  odors  on  its  breast.  It  is  a  mixed 
smell  of  carrion,  mud  and  rotten  wood.  But  I  sure  do 
love  the  smell!" 

"Well,  I  don't  care  about  the  flood,"  said  Becky, 
"But  I  sure  would  like  to  have  some  of  that  rain  down 
here." 

Myrnie  went  to  her  room,  changed  her  shoes,  brushed 
her  hair  carefully,  and  leaving  the  house  by  a  back  way, 
commenced  walking  in  the  direction  of  Myer.  She 

313 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

walked  rapidly,  for  she  was  thinking  rapidly.  She  ex- 
pected to  meet  Don,  and  she  did  not  care  where.  She 
had  proceeded  only  a  mile,  however,  and  was  in  the  dry 
bed  of  the  Ague  Frio  when  she  met  him. 

They  both  stopped  and  looked  at  each  other,  Don 
smiling  his  happy  fascinating  smile,  as  he  said, 

"Too  eager  to  stay  at  home?  Come  jump  up  here 
and  ride  back  to  the  house  with  me.  We  will  have  to 
hurry,  for  I  am  afraid  that  a  flood  will  come  down  and 
cut  us  off  from  the  Prescott  road  to-night." 

She  looked  at  him  without  reproach,  and  asked  mild- 
ly, "Do  you  think  I  am  going  away  with  you,  Don?" 

He  thought  she  was  playing  with  him  and  answered, 
"I'm  going  away  with  you,  at  any  rate." 

"  You  are  going  to  marry  Kate  Bremister.  She  has 
borne  you  a  son." 

"  My  God !"  He  muttered.  His  face  was  ashen,  he 
sat  like  one  with  a  chill,  shaking  from  head  to  foot. 
For  a  long  time  he  could  not  speak,  and  during  this 
time  Myrnie  looked  at  the  ground.  Then  he  burst  forth 
speaking  to  himself, 

"  I  thought  that  would  not  happen  for  a  month  yet, 
and  we  would  be  away  and  she  would  never  know." 

"And  there  is  where  you  miscounted,"  she  said  coldly. 

"  I  thought  you  would  never  know,"  he  repeated. 

"  Oh,  Don,  Don,  I  might  have  known,  I  might  have 
known.  But  no,  I  trusted  you." 

"  But  Myrnie,"  he  threw  his  lines  on  the  ground  and 
jumped  from  his  seat  beside  her,  "that  all  happened  be- 
fore I  knew  you.  I  never  could  have  done  like  that  if 
I  had  known  what  real  love  was.  You  will  forgive  me, 
Myrnie.  We  must  go,  all  arrangements  are  made."  He 
stood  in  an  attitude  of  appeal,  his  arms  stretched  out  to 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

her,  all  the  suavity  of  his  nature  coming  to  his  aid.  His 
eyes  were  soft  and  painstricken  and  compelling.  "We 
might  just  as  well  go  now,  Myrnie;  might  just  as  well." 

The  distraught  girl  stood  for  a  minute  in  a  whirl  of 
indecision,  her  desire  to  go  to  him  and  say,  "Yes,  yes, 
Don,"  was  powerful,  but  she  thought  that  he  must  have 
looked  like  this  to  Kate  when  she  gave  up  to  him,  and 
she  stood  still  looking  at  him. 

He  continued,  "  What  is  one  child  more  or  less  in 
the  world,  and  what  is  the  difference  who  is  its  father? 
They  are  nothing  to  me.  No  one  is  anything  to  me  but 
you,  you  are  strong,  and  good,  and  could  not  be  induced 
to  give  yourself  up  wrongfully.  Can't  you  see  that  I 
could  not  care  for  Kate  after  this?" 

"  Can't  you  see  that  I  could  not  care  for  you  after 
this  ?  Kate  is  better  than  you  are.  The  words  you  have 
just  spoken  show  you  to  be  unworthy  the  name  "man."  Is 
there  no  father-feeling  in  you,  Don?"  Her  last  words 
were  a  whisper.  "No  father-feeling  to  be  awakened?" 

Don  folded  his  arms  across  his  chest  and  replied, 
"The  old  man  sleeps." 

"  For  shame,  Don,  for  shame.  You  are  just  a 
rogue." 

"  I  have  often  suspected  myself  of  being  a  rogue,  and 
I  have  tried  to  reform,  but  reform  does  not  seem  to  be 
in  me.  I  hate  myself.  I  have  struggled  hard.  What 
can  you  know  of  this  struggle,  you  who  have  no  desire 
to  break  laws  and  be  wicked,  what  can  you  know  of 
this  struggle?  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  I 
have  inherited  a  love  of  lawlessness.  There  must  be  an 
awful  strain  of  blackness  back  among  my  ancestors. 
If  you  do  not  go  with  me  I  can't  help  it  but  if  you  do 

315 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

care  for  me  yet,  you  can  purge  my  life  to  cleanliness. 
Will  you  go  with  me,  Myrnie?" 

"  Don,  you  just  said  that  I  was  not  a  woman  who 
could  be  induced  to  give  myself  up  wrongfully  and  you 
spoke  true.'* 

Hearing  a  mighty  roar,  they  looked  up  the  stream, 
and  there  not  fifty  yards  away  was  a  breast  of  water 
six  feet  high  bearing  down  upon  them.  The  flood  came 
as  Grin  had  predicted,  and  it  was  a  big  one;  they  had 
been  too  deeply  engrossed  in  their  own  affair  to  hear 
its  roar  till  it  was  almost  too  late. 

They  both  knew  that  they  could  not  reach  either  bank 
of  the  river. 

"We  may  reach  Ell's  Isle,"  he  shouted  to  her,  for  the 
din  of  the  water  was  almost  deafening,  and  taking  her 
by  the  hand  they  ran  desperately  to  the  little  island 
that  stood,  brush  covered,  in  the  midst  of  the  stream. 
Don  had  to  drag  Myrnie  up  the  steep  bank. 

On  top  of  this  island  they  were  far  above  water  and 
there  they  stood,  bewildered,  trembling,  unstrung. 

The  water,  now  was  all  around  them  and  its  roar  was 
so  great  that  they  could  not  hear  each  other  speak.  He 
tried  to  say  something  to  her  but  she  could  not  hear  his 
words — she  finally  understood  by  the  motion  of  his  lips 
that  he  said,  "horse,"  and  looking  across  the  stream, 
she  saw  the  two  horses  entangled  by  their  harness  in 
some  brush.  They  were  'above  water  but  the  light 
wagon  had  broken  away  from  them  and  had  been  car- 
ried down  the  stream. 

vSpeechless,  the  two  prisoners  stood,  watching  the 
water  climb  higher  as  darkness  commenced  to  creep  on. 
It  commenced  to  rain  heavily.  Lightning  and  thunder 
flashed  and  rolled  about  them,  and  the  rain  came  down 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

still  harder.  Don  put  his  coat  on  Myrnie.  She  cried 
silently  as  he  did  so,  the  kindness  touched  her  so,  but 
it  was  dark  and  he  did  not  know  that  she  cried.  The 
rain  washed  the  few  tears  away,  and  soon  she  had  to 
discard  the  coat  to  get  rid  of  its  weight,  for  it  was 
drenched. 

The  incessant  flashing  of  the  lightning  illumined  the 
water,  showing  them  the  objects  which  the  flood  carried 
on  its  breast  and  brought  floating  past  them.  Logs  and 
whole  trees  still  leafy  and  green  and  piled  up  and  over- 
riding one  another,  came  plunging  directly  toward 
them,  till  it  seemed  that  they  would  tumble  on  their 
tiny  island  and  crush  them,  but  the  bend  in  the  river 
always  carried  them  past.  One  of  the  large  cottonwood 
trees  which  had  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  stream  along 
Aunt  Sally's  bottom  came  floating  past  with  a  dead  cow 
entangled  in  its  branches.  Don  and  Myrnie  recognized 
the  tree  as  well  as  the  cow.  It  was  one  of  Aunt  Sally's 
best  buttermilk  cows.  She  had  a  bobbed  tail. 

Chicken  coops,  small  outbuildings,  broken  timbers, 
and  wagons — anything  and  everything  came  by,  and  the 
two  island  prisoners  stood  and  watched  it  all  as  intently 
as  though  their  lives  depended  upon  it.  The  rain  sub- 
sided, and  when  their  ears  had  become  more  accustomed 
to  the  noise,  they  could  better  make  each  other  under- 
stand what  they  were  saying. 

Suddenly  a  lingering  flash  of  lightning  revealed  a 
part  of  a  haybailing  machine  entangled  in  a  canvas 
wagon  sheet.  It  came  very  near  to  them,  and  Don  said, 

"Alas,  the  rodeo,"  looking  at  Myrnie.  She  returned 
his  look  without  a  change  of  expression.  No  doubt  it 
was  the  only  time  that  joke  was  sprung  without  provok- 
ing laughter. 

317 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  The  flood  will  have  run  past  by  midnight/5  Don 
said.  "Then  we  can " 

But  Myrnie  interrupted  him,  "We  are  here  till  day- 
break, Don." 

"  Well,  even  then,"  but  his  voice  trembled  so  that  he 
had  to  commence  again.  "Even  then,  I  can  get  Grin 
to  bring  a  team  and  we  can  go.  You  and  he  could  go 
back  to  Bob's  and  get  your  things.  I  do  not  wish  to 
see  people,  now  that  this  thing  is  out/' 

"  No,  I  should  not  think  so/5  she  said. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  in  the  mouth  of  everybody,"  he 
faltered. 

"  Lucy  Morgan,  with  the  co-operation  of  her  gray 
mare,  spent  the  whole  day  yesterday,  spreading  the 
news,  and  I  imagine  it  is  pretty  well  out,"  was  her  frank 
answer. 

"The  old  hell-cat!"  he  muttered;  but  in  the  face  of 
all  this,  he  still  hoped.  "It  will  be  all  right,  little  girl ; 
you  know  that  I  love  only  you.  It  is  all  right."  He 
took  hold  of  her  arm  ecstatically.  It  seemed  so  hard 
for  him  to  give  up  hope. 

"  This  is  the  end,  Don  Gray." 

"  Not  the  end,  not— not  the  end,  not  that." 

"  The  end  of  everything,  even  life,  Don." 

"  No,  no,"  he  fell  down  on  his  knees,  and  clasping 
her  about  the  limbs,  he  pressed  his  face  against  her 
body.  "No,  no,  not  that." 

She  drew  away  from  him  and  going  over  to  the  lone 
tree,  leaned  against  it  wearily.  It  was  the  only  large 
tree  on  the  island;  it  forked  about  two  feet  from  the 
ground,  spreading  out  into  two  large  branches,  and  the 
girl  seated  herself  in  this  fork.  Don  remained  on  the 
ground  where  she  had  left  him.  A  rift  in  the  clouds 

318 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

showed  the  bright  moon  coming  up  from  behind  Esh- 
ler's  Peak,  and  this  light,  along  with  the  noise  and 
crash  about  him,  brought  Don  to  a  realization  of  his 
surroundings.  Then  the  clouds  came  together  again, 
and  all  was  dark.  They  continued  to  open  and  close  al- 
ternately, giving  the  lonely  figures  light  and  darkness  by 
turns. 

Hearing  a  great  splash  in  the  water,  Myrnie  hurried 
over  to  Don,  but  she  found  him  standing  quite  still 
where  she  had  left  him,  as  though  he  were  trying  to 
collect  his  thoughts.  The  noise  had  been  caused  by 
a  great  chunk  of  their  island  which  had  been  torn  off 
by  the  force  of  the  water.  The  girl  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  like  a  child  to  the  tree,  wondering  at 
her  own  great  calmness. 

"  Our  island  is  being  washed  away,  Don.  There  may 
be  none  of  it  here  by  morning.  The  water  is  still  ris- 
ing, and  it  is  already  about  our  feet." 

He  made  no  reply,  so  she  repeated  her  fears,  but  he 
seemed  to  take  no  note  of  their  danger,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  sounds  of  loud  splashes  which  con- 
tinued to  come  to  their  ears  should  have  convinced  him 
that  their  place  of  safety  was  growing  smaller  every 
hour. 

Don  was  pacing  back  and  forth  now  like  one  frantic. 
She  could  see  his  face  pale  and  haggard  in  the  moon- 
light, when  it  came,  and  his  eyes,  how  they  stared !  She 
could  feel  the  tree  quiver  and  shake  beneath  her,  and 
she  know  that  its  roots  were  being  undermined  by  the 
water.  Even  this  did  not  alarm  her.  She  still  sat  in 
the  fork  of  the  tree  and  Don  continued  to  walk.  Hours 
went  by,  when  she  felt  him  trying  to  clasp  her  in  his 


319 


In  the  Land  of  Hxiremes. 

arms.     She    almost    felt    afraid  of  him,    he    acted    so 
strangely. 

"  Don,  Don,  do  you  realize  the  danger  of  those  who 
live  below  here?"  She  asked,  pushing  him  from  her. 

"  My  God !  My  God !"  she  heard  him  mutter.  "I  can 
swim,  Myrnie,  I  will  go  to  them  and  save  them.  I 
will  save  them." 

"  No,  the  water  is  up  to  your  knees.  You  could  do 
nothing.  It  is  too  dark.  You  could  do  nothing." 

"  No,  I  could  not  leave  you." 

"  Have  you  no  feeling,  Don,  no  feeling  ?  You  know 
what  I  mean — no  father-feeling?"  Her  voice  was  a 
whisper  in  his  ear. 

"  God !  my  God,"  was  all  he  said,  but  she  thought 
there  was  a  hint  of  sob  in  his  voice.  He  went  on. 

"  I  could  not  leave  you  here  alone  like  this,  but  Myr- 
nie, I  want  to  see  my  little  child,  I  do  want  to  see  it." 
He  broke  into  sobs  that  were  violent  and  terrible.  It 
was  an  awful  struggle.  His  dormant  manhood  was 
being  brought  to  life  at  this  hour.  How  easily  and  care- 
lessly this  fellow  had  taken  life;  how  irresponsible  he 
had  been,  thoughtless  of  everyone  but  himself.  He  had 
been  able  to  laugh  and  joke  in  the  face  of  any  great 
calamity,  and  this  must  be  either  a  very  great  or  a  very 
depraved  soul.  I  leave  you  to  judge  which  of  the  two 
was  Don's.  But  now  he  was  beginning  to  feel  the  great 
tragedies  of  life.  It  had  taken  the  love  of  a  good  and 
pure  woman  to  bring  him  to  this. 

Myrnie  was  happy.  At  last  he  had  redeemed  himself 
in  her  eyes.  Though  she  never  see  him  again,  what 
matter?  He  was  a  man  and  she  had  not  been  mistaken 
in  her  judgment  of  him — yes,  he  was  a  man. 

When  he  became  calm,  he  laid  his  hand  on  her  arm. 
and  said, 

320 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Pray,  Myrnie.  You  are  a  good  woman,  and  God 
will  hear  your  prayer.  Pray  for  them,  and  tell  God  I 
promise  to  do  right  by  them  if  he  will  but  save  them." 

And  Myrnie  prayed  as  she  had  not  prayed  in  all  her 
life.  Her  own  feelings  and  desires  she  sacrificed  com- 
pletely, pouring  forth  the  plea  with  all  her  strength  of 
her  being  for  the  safety  of  those  two  lives  that  had 
crossed  her  own.  When  she  had  concluded,  a  great 
silence  fell  upon  them.  It  continued  for  hours,  in  which 
both  had  a  peculiar  feeling  that  great  distance  was 
growing  between  them;  they  felt  far,  far  apart. 

By  the  sounds  about  them  they  could  tell  that  the 
water  was  subsiding  but  still  they  watched  and  waited 
without  speaking.  And  by  the  time  dawn  came  peep- 
ing into  the  Eastern  end  of  the  valley,  the  river  was  not 
more  than  a  foot  deep.  Daylight  showed  them  that 
more  than  half  of  their  island  had  been  washed  away, 
being  composed  of  loose,  rocky  soil,  and  the  great 
forked  tree  which  was  now  leaning  in  the  direction  of 
the  river,  had  half  of  its  roots  washed  bare. 

Don,  guarding  against  the  quicksand,  led  Myrnie  in 
a  roundabout  way  to  where  the  horses  were. 

"  Which  horse  is  gentle  to  ride  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Puss  is  perfectly  gentle,"  he  told  her,  knowing 
where  she  meant  to  go. 

11  You  go  to  Myer,"  she  commanded. 

"  Tell  her  I  will  come  about  noon  and  bring  Father 
Delany.  He  will  still  be  in  town." 

"  I  will  make  it  all  right  with  her,  Don,"  she  said 
when  he  had  helped  her  on  the  horse. 

He  stood  with  his  arms  folded  across  his  chest  watch- 
ing her  till  she  was  out  of  sight,  then,  mounting  the 
other  horse,  he  rode  to  Myer,  his  head  bent,  his  eyes 
on  the  ground. 

321 


CHAPTER  XII. 


MYRNIE  was  obliged  to  pick  her  way  carefully  along 
the  course  of  the  stream.  She  followed  the  well-worn 
trail  where  she  could,  but  in  many  places  it  had  lain  so 
near  the  river's  brink  that  long  stretches  of  it,  having 
become  soaked  by  the  water,  had  caved  off.  At  such 
places  the  girl  was  compelled  to  go  higher  up  on  the 
hillside  and  through  the  brush.  The  original  path  had 
crossed  the  river  at  many  sections,  winding  its  way 
first  on  one  side  then  on  the  other,  wherever  there  was 
room  for  the  path  along  the  narrow  canyon.  But  now 
Myrnie  had  to  keep  on  one  side  of  the  stream  all  the 
way. 

The  destructive  influences  of  the  flood  were  every- 
where apparent.  Trees  and  brush  along  the  river  brink 
had  been  washed  out  by  the  roots  and  had  accumulated 
in  great  piles  of  drift  where  the  stream  had  overrun 
its  banks.  The  little  school-teacher  saw  all  this  through 
tearful  eyes.  The  belated  tears  had  commenced  to  flow 
soon  after  she  left  Don ;  the  drouth  which  had  held  her 
in  its  grip  was  now  at  an  end,  and  a  flood  of  tears  now 
blinded  her  sight.  She  soon  wiped  them  away,  however, 
and  slowly  made  her  way  through  the  rough  canyon. 
Her  heart  was  broken  but  there  was  enough  excitement 
in  that  which  lay  before  her  to  carry  her  on  to  the  end 
of  her  mission.  She  urged  her  lagging  steed  on  up 
hillsides  so  steep  as  to  be  dangerous,  down  precipitous 

322 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

banks  were  she  was  compelled  to  dismount,  through 
thickets  of  mesquite  whose  sharp  thorns  tore  her  wet 
skirts  into  rags,  and  across  deeply  cut  ditches  in  which 
still  ran  rivulets  from  the  saturated  earth. 

Puss  was  sure-footed  and  did  not  stumble,  but  she 
always  wanted  to  jump  the  ditches  and  the  cautious 
rider  lost  much  time  in  her  efforts  in  prevent  this. 

The  clouds  had  all  passed  away,  not  even  a  whitehead 
anywhere  to  explain  all  this  wetness.  Every  bush  and 
every  blade  of  dead  grass  hung  full  of  liquid  beads, 
which  glittered  like  diamonds  in  the  bright  sunlight. 
(The  sun  had  already  risen.)  Such  a  fragrance  as 
arose  from  the  earth,  and  how  the  birds  sang!  But  all 
this  gave  the  little  teacher  no  comfort;  she  scarcely 
noticed  these  things.  The  darkness  within  her  own  soul 
threw  shadows  over  all  the  brightness.  Earth  now 
wore  its  blackest  pall  for  her.  It  took  her  three  hours 
to  cover  the  three  miles.  When  she  came  to  the  open 
fields,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Bremister  ranch,  she 
stopped  and  gazed  before  her,  appalled.  Great  areas 
of  the  soft  rich  bottomland  had  disappeared,  had  been 
eaten  away  by  the  water's  sharp  teeth. 

"  How  can  the  house  still  be  there  ?"  she  asked  her- 
self aloud,  in  horor.  She  knew  that  the  house  stood  on 
soft  ground  and  not  far  from  the  stream.  She  dreaded 
to  go  on  over  the  rise  in  the  field  which  hid  the  house 
from  view,  knowing  not  whether  she  feared  the  house 
was  gone  or  was  still  there.  She  stood,  hesitating. 

"  If  it  is  gone,"  she  whispered,  "if  it  is  gone  ?  He 
has  proven  himself  a  man."  This  brought  a  great  sense 
of  rest  to  her  heart.  "If  they  are  gone,  maybe  I  could 
forgive  him,  perhaps — " 

Her  words  were  cut  short  by  the  sight  of  a  man  com- 
323 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

ing  over  the  rise,  leading  a  horse.  It  was  Mr.  Bre- 
mister,  and  he  was  walking  calmly  as  though  all  were 
well  with  him.  Myrnie  spoke  to  Puss  and  the  horse 
moved  forward,  but  the  man  had  turned  out  of  the  path 
before  she  reached  him.  His  head  was  bowed  in 
thought.  When  she  reached  the  summit  of  the  rise, 
there  stood  the  house  in  its  accustomed  place  among  the 
cottonwoods,  with  the  dogs  and  chickens  moving  about 
in  their  natural  way. 

"  Kate  might  have  died  in  the  night ;  sometimes  they 
do  die  afterwards."  This  she  told  herself  like  a  drown- 
ing man  who  catches  at  a  straw.  When  she  walked 
upon  the  porch  and  knocked,  she  fully  expected  to  be 
confronted  by  the  assertion  that  Kate  was  dead.  But 
alas,  her  active  imagination  had  led  her  astray. 

Mrs.  Bremister  met  her  at  the  door,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  picture  the  surprise  in  the  woman's  face  as 
she  stood  staring  at  the  bedraggled  girl. 

The  weary  visitor  noticed  that  the  face  before  her 
was  haggard  and  tear-stained,  as  though  the  woman  had 
wept  all  night,  and  this  made  Myrnie's  own  trouble 
seen  less  terrible  to  her.  Pity,  sympathy — wonderful 
and  tender,  instantly  welled  up  in  the  girl's  heart,  and 
she  was  ready  to  sacrifice  herself  for  this  grief-stricken 
mother. 

Mrs.  Bremister  had  thrown  up  her  hands  and  stood, 
unable  to  say  one  word. 

"  Oh,"  said  Myrnie,  looking  down  at  her  dress  and 
thinking  of  it  for  the  first  time,  "I  have  been  out  in  the 
rain  all  night  but  I  have  come  to  see  Kate.  I  know 
everything." 

Mrs.    Bremister   still   stood  in  the   doorway,  barring 


324 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

her  entrance  as  though  she  could  not  grasp  what  Myr- 
nie  said. 

"  I  have  brought  good  news  from  Don  for  Kate." 
Her  sincere  look  and  sweet  tone  reassured  the  woman, 
who  said: 

"  Come  in,  child,  come  in.  Let  me  give  you  dry 
clothes.  This  is  liable  to  give  you  your  death.  How 
came  you  in  this  plight?" 

"  I  was  caught  on  Ell's  Isle  by  the  flood  and  held 
there  all  night/'  Myrnie  said,  and  while  she  changed 
her  clothes,  she  told  the  woman  as  much  of  the  fabrica- 
tion, which  was  rapidly  weaving  itself  in  her  fertile 
brain,  as  she  thought  wise  to  unfold  just  yet. 

When  she  had  finished,  the  newly  made  grand-mother 
opened  the  door  of  the  adjoining  room  and  said,  "Here 
is  company  for  you,  dear!  are  you  ready  just  now?" 

Myrnie  stepped  inside  the  room  before  the  invalid 
could  answer.  Kate  seemed  unable  to  believe  the  ev- 
idence of  her  own  eyes.  She  had  raised  herself  on  her 
elbow  when  her  mother  spoke  to  her,  and  Myrnie  saw 
by  the  light  and  hope  that  lurked  in  her  eye,  when  she 
first  entered  the  room,  that  Kate  thought  it  was  some- 
one else.  Myrnie  saw  this  expression  change  quickly 
to  one  of  fear  and  alarm,  and  the  young  mother  fell 
back  on  her  pillow. 

The  girl  walked  toward  her  and  tried  to  smile  with 
these  words.  "It  is  only  me  now,  Kate,  but  Don  will 
come  at  noon  to-day.  He  told  me  to  come  to  tell  you." 

"  But  how  does  he  know  that  I  want  him  to  come  ?w 
was  her  heated  interrogation. 

"  Oh,  but  you  do,  Kate,"  she  said  in  her  sweetest  tone. 

"  I  do  not  think  I  do.     I  have  gone  this  far  without 


325 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

him  and  can  go  the  rest  of  the  way,  little  as  he  may 
doubt  it." 

"  But  you  do  want  him,  Kate.  He  will  bring  Father 
Delaney,  and  he  wants  you  to  marry  him.  Don  would 
have  come  now  instead  of  me,  only  he  wished  to  catch 
the  priest  in  Myer." 

"  That  he  should  have  done  a  long  time  ago,  Myrnie." 
Kate's  voice  was  more  tender  now. 

"  Yes,  Kate,  but — but — but  you  know  how  funny  men 
are  about  such  things." 

"  But  how  came  you  here  like  this  with  word  from 
him?"  Kat  still  doubted  the  girl's  sincerity. 

"  He  loves  you,  Kate ;  loves  you  dearly,  but  his  pride 
made  him  shrink  from  this.  His  mother,  too,  has  such 
a  power  over  him  and  he  shrank  from  what  she  and  the 
other  people  would  say.  But  he  is  so  sorry  now  that 
he  did  not  do  right  by  you  long  ago.  He  wants  to 
make  amends." 

"Oh,  he  does?  Well,  if  he  had  suffered  death  a 
hundred  times  in  the  last  few  months,  yes,  worse  than 
a  hundred  deaths,  then  what  people  think  and  even  his 
mother's  feelings  would  be  as  nothing  to  him." 

"  Yes,  Kate,  but  it  is  only  given  to  women  to  suffer 
like  that.  He  was  coming  to  see  you,  coming  by  the 
Browns  Springs  road  because  he  wished  to  see  Grin 
and  get  him  to  do  some  errand  for  him,  and  I  was  walk- 
ing alone  as  I  do  so  often,  it  was  pleasant  and  cool,  you 
know,  and  we  chanced  to  meet  in  the  road  in  the  dry 
river  bed.  We  talked  for  a  few  minutes,  and  suddenly 
the  terrible  flood  was  upon  us  before  we  knew  it.  We 
could  not  run  to  the  banks  but  just  barely  reached  EH's 
Isle  and  there  we  were  held  all  night." 

"But  why  did  he  stop  to  talk  to  you ?  That  sounds 
326 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

unlikely  if  he  were  coming  here  so  quickly  and  eagerly. 
Did  he  dare  to  mention  anything  to — to — to  you,  about 
this?"  The  black  eyes  were  flashing. 

"  Oh,  no,  Kate.  He  only  asked  me  to  carry  the  mes- 
sage back  to  Grin  because  I  told  him  that  Grin  was  at 
the  house;  he  was  doing  that  because  he  wanted  to  get 
here  all  the  sooner." 

"What  was  the  message?" 

"  Why,  he — he,  why  he  wanted  Grin  to  go  to  Myer 
to  bring  the  priest  for  him." 

"Then  what  happened?"  Kate  asked. 

"  He  never  would  have  mentioned  you  to  me  if  the 
flood  had  not  held  us  on  that  island  all  night.  Think  of 
it,"  and  Myrnie  put  intensity  into  her  voice,  "held  on 
that  little  piece  of  ground  all  through  the  black  night 
and  the  merciless  rain  pouring  down  and  the  raging 
flood  eating  our  island  from  under  us,  the  water  rising 
round  us  higher  and  higher  every  minute.  We  did  not 
think  we  would  ever  escape  from  the  island  alive,  and 
as  you  can  well  imagine,  he  was  crazed  with  anxiety 
and  all  barriers  fell  away.  He  thought  this  house  would 
surely  be  washed  away  and  you  with  it.  He  bound  me 
to  a  piece  of  log  that  lodged  on  our  island  and  told  me 
what  to  tell  you  if  you  and  I  escaped  and  he  did  not. 
He  cried  awfully,  Kate,  and  said  he  wanted  you  and 
his  little  child." 

At  this  point  both  girls  broke  down;  Kate  from  sheer 
happiness,  and  Myrnie  because  she  was  so  carried  away 
with  the  pathos  of  her  own  story,  and  because  the  flood 
of  grief  within  her  had  not  yet  spent  itself.  Mrs.  Bre- 
mister  had  stood  like  one  stricken  while  the  narrator 
told  her  rapid  story;  now  she  fell  upon  her  knees  to 
thank  the  good  God  who  had  heard  and  answered 

327 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

her  prayer.  She  would  do  her  penance  gladly  now, 
would  wear  green,  the  color  she  most  disliked,  to  the 
end  of  her  days. 

Kate  reached  out  and  grasped  Myrnie's  hand,  and 
Myrnie  understood  that  this  was  her  thanks  to  her,  but 
she  was  unable  to  return  the  fervid  pressure  which  Kate 
gave,  and  left  her  hand  lay  passively  in  that  of  the  in- 
valid. Thus  they  wept,  the  dark  head  quite  near  the 
fair  one.  Is  the  world  of  women  indeed  so  unjust,  so 
unfeeling?  Is  there  no  love  and  charity  existing  in  the 
hearts  of  the  sisters  of  this  world.  They  tell  me,  "No." 

Perhaps  those  who  read  this  story  will  look  upon 
Kate  as  something  vile  and  upon  Myrnie  as  a  saint  and 
an  angel.  But  this  is  not  so.  The  universal  thought  of 
the  world  is  much  biased  in  these  matters.  Fundament- 
ally, no  doubt,  Kate  was  as  pure  as  Myrnie.  Their 
circumstances  had  been  different,  that  was  all. 

Myrnie  had  been  tenderly  reared  and  carefully 
guarded  from  infancy.  Every  thought  had  been  mould- 
ed for  her  during  her  childhood;  she  had  been  sur- 
rounded by  refinement,  culture,  and  was  educated.  She 
knew  life  through  the  medium  of  the  best  literature, 
had  been  environed  by  a  religious  atmosphere,  taught 
to  fear  evil  for  its  own  dire  effects,  and,  having  been 
gifted  with  pure  instincts,  was  able  to  resist  most  forms 
of  temptation. 

Kate,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  left  to  discover  all 
things  for  herself.  True,  her  mother  was  a  Catholic, 
and  Kate  called  herself  the  same;  but  Mrs.  Bremister 
was  a  woman  who  forgot  her  religion  except  in  cases 
of  dire  need.  Such  religion  is  a  failure.  You  can  not 
make  a  cat's  paw  of  God.  To  Kate  religion  was  only 
a  word.  She  knew  little  of  the  delicate  lines  between 

328 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

right  and  wrong.  Her  companions  all  through  her  life 
had  been  cowboys, — good  fellows,  to  be  sure,  but  rough. 
Of  schooling  Kate  had  received  little.  She  had  never 
been  taught  to  read  good  books.  She  knew  only  the 
things  that  speak  from  the  hills,  the  rocks,  the  range 
and  the  wild  places.  These  are  pure  teachers,  all,  if  the 
mind  is  developed  to  an  extent  to  grasp  their  magnitude. 
Kate,  however,  recognized  only  the  material  nature  of 
these  things.  Such  surroundings  may  keep  a  man  prim- 
itive and  honest  in  nature,  but  they  are  hardly  the  in- 
fluences which  bring  out  the  spiritual  nature  of  woman- 
kind. Kate  was  of  a  nervous,  active  temperament, 
not  having  that  command  and  power  which  comes  with 
repose. 

Mrs.  Bremister  arose  at  length,  and  stood  looking 
at  the  two  girls.  She  smiled  and  said : 

"  Come,  children,  let  us  brace  up.  This  is  not  so  bad 
as  it  might  be." 

"No,  indeed,"  Myrnie  added,  drying  her  tears  in  a 
relieved  way. 

Kate  came  out  of  her  tears  laughing.  For  a  month, 
or  since  the  day  of  the  picnic,  she  had  not  seen  Don. 
She  thought  he  was  lost  to  her,  had  deserted  her;  that 
she  was  to  go  alone  through  this  dark  gorge  of  shame. 
Now  that  haunting  dream  was  dispelled.  He  was  com- 
ing this  day  to  make  her  his  wife ;  he  loved  her,  he  loved 
her  still.  Oh,  this  was  too  good  to  be  true,  surely,  after 
all  her  dreadful  sufferings.  She  talked  and  chatted 
gaily,  a  pretty  pink  coming  into  her  cheeks. 

"Well,  well;  this  is  a  jolly  old  world  after  all,"  she 
said,  "I'm  hungry,  mother  dear,  have  you  any  of  that 
quail  broth  left?  Do  bring  me  some.  I  can  drink  a 
barrel  of  it;  bring  some  crackers,  too." 

329 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Mrs.  Bremister  went  to  the  kitchen  to  get  the  food 
and  Kate  went  on, 

"  Oh,  Myrnie,  don't  you  want  to  see  my  little,  wee 
little  chicken?  It  is  just  a  little  two-by-four  and  is 
just  like  him — its  eyes  are  his."  And  she  drew  an  un- 
certain looking  bundle  from  the  back  of  the  bed,  while 
poor  Myrnie  thought  she  should  strangle,  her  heart 
came  up  and  choked  her  so.  At  that  moment  she 
thought  she  would  break  down,  but  she  prayed  to  be 
made  stronger,  and  Kate  did  not  see  her  emotion,  being 
so  absorbed  with  her  own  interests.  She  went  on  with 
her  chatter: 

"  You  know  Myrnie,  we  are  just  the  same  as  married; 
we  are  married.  Love  is  the  only  marriage.  What  is 
a  foolish  ceremony?  Does  the  Bible  not  say  there  is  no 
sin  commited  if  they  marry  afterwards?  Ho,  ho,  what 
does  this  silly  world  know  about  anything  anyhow?" 

But  Myrnie  scored  one  on  Kate  for  her  boasting  ex- 
ultation when  she  calmly  replied: 

"  Kate,  I  would  rather  be  married  by  a  ceremony  be- 
forehand." 

"  Oh,  yes,  of  course,  I  suppose  so,  if  one  cares  for 
others.  Pooh,  I  care  only  for  my  Don." 

Myrnie's  face  went  white  as  she  looked  at  the  little, 
red,  wrinkled  individual,  who  would  not  open  his  eyes 
enough  to  see  what  they  were  like,  but  closed  and  un- 
closed his  silly  little  fists  as  though  it  were  a  great  ac- 
complishement,  and  worked  his  button-hole  mouth  as 
though  he  were  as  good  as  anybody's  kid.  Kate  went 
on  talking  to  her  incomprehensible  treasure  in  a  fond 
mother's  silly  way: 

"  Oo  is  dest  mover's  wee,  one  chicken,  ess  oo  is,  too." 

"  I  am  sure  he  is  just  sweet,"  Myrnie  managed  to  say.. 
330 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

But  Mrs.  Bremister  came  back  with  the  broth  and 
crackers  and  Myrnie  arose  to  go.  I  think  Kate  was  re- 
lieved to  have  her  depart.  But  Mrs.  Bremister  came  to 
Myrnie,  and  taking  her  hand  said: 

"  God  will  bless  you  for  the  work  you  have  done  this 
day.  What  a  blessing  you  have  been  to  this  community 
in  every  way!  It  must  be  a  great  comfort  to  you  to 
think  of  it." 

Myrnie  only  smiled  sadly  and  bidding  Kate  good-bye, 
wished  her  happiness,  to  which  Kate  could  not  reply, 
but  looked  into  her  eyes  frankly.  Mrs.  Bremister 
kissed  her  on  both  cheeks  and  followed  her  to  her  horse, 
asking  God  again  and  again  to  bless  her  till  Myrnie 
wished  the  woman  would  keep  her  mouth  shut  and  make 
less  demonstration. 

The  girl  took  the  Myer  road  in  order  to  meet  Don, 
and  she  met  him  in  a  buggy  where  the  Browns  Springs 
road  forked  off.  The  holy  man  was  with  him,  but  Don 
got  out  of  the  vehicle,  leaving  the  priest  uncertainly 
holding  the  horses;  he  walked  along  by  Myrnie  till  he 
was  beyond  ear  range  of  the  buggy  and  without  wait- 
ing to  be  asked,  Myrnie  told  him  what  she  had  done. 

He  stood  in  silence,  his  eyes  on  the  ground  as  she 
spoke  and  with  his  eyes  still  on  the  ground,  he  said, 

"  I  would  rather  tell  her  the  whole  truth,  make  a 
clean  breast  of  it,"  now  he  looked  full  at  her,  "and  go 
down  to  the  'Y'  in  Myer  and  turn  around  and  take  a 
new  start  in  life."  It  was  evident  that  he  still  had  hopes. 
Kate  might  refuse  him  if  he  did  this. 

The  girl  smiled  and  looked  at  him,  shaking  her  head. 
There  was  all  the  old  irresistible  deviltry  lurking  in  his 
eyes  as  he  looked  at  her.  He  was  still  able  to  joke  in 
the  face  of  serious  matters.  This  made  him  the  same, 

331 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

dear  old  self  to  her,  and  she  had  to  take  her  eyes  away 
from  him.     Feigning  disgust,  she  said, 

"  You  must  not  change  what  I  have  done  and  told 
them,  Don." 

Now,  he  was  all  seriousness.  "I  will  do  whatever  you 
say,  as  I  promised  you  I  would  last  night;  still,  this  all 
seems  so  useless  to  me  and  I  think  I  might  just  as  well 
tell  the  truth.  I  believe  the  truth  is  always  the  best  in 
any  circumstance.  We  might  just  as  well  do  as  we  had 
planned.  Might  just  as  well." 

He  did  not  know  how  hard  he  was  making  it  for  her 
to  stay  by  her  conviction  of  what  was  right.  Don  turned 
and  looked  down  the  road  that  led  to  Kate,  then  toward 
Browns  Springs,  and  Myrnie  saw  something  strange 
come  into  his  face  as  he  asked, 

"  Myrnie,  is  this  where  our  paths  divide  ?" 

She  looked  at  the  diverging  highways  also,  but  could 
not  speak  at  first,  then  he  said: 

"  No,  Don,  this  is  not  the  place.  There  is  but  one 
place  in  this  world  where  the  paths  of  those  who  love 
or  have  loved  turn  asunder,  and  that  is  at  the  point  of 
dishonor.  Whether  they  be  lover  and  sweetheart  or 
husband  and  wife,  and  it  matters  not  whether  they  sep- 
arate or  remain  together,  from  the  first  moment  when 
evil,  deceit,  or  dishonor  enters  the  heart  of  one  in  regard 
to  the  other,  that  is  where  their  paths  divide  and  must 
lie  asunder  forever." 

"  But  you  don't  despise  me,  Myrnie  ?"  His  voice 
trembled. 

"  No,  Don,  I  could  not.  I  forgive  you  everything." 
Her  voice  shook  as  much  as  his  own. 

Don  stepped  to  the  side  of  her  horse  and  taking  the 
hand  that  hung  limply  by  her  side,  drew  it  down  to  his 

332 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

face.  He  did  not  touch  his  lips  to  it,  but  she  felt  the 
hot  tears  falling  on  her  palm. 

Drawing  her  hand  away  hurriedly,  lest  she  give  up 
at  the  last  moment,  she  said,  "Good-bye,  Don!**  and 
striking  Puss,  galloped  up  the  road  toward  Browns 
Springs,  keeping  the  same  gait  all  the  way  home.  She 
called  Becky  Moore  to  her  room  and  told  her  the  same 
story  she  had  told  Kate. 

Dear  Becky  wept  constantly,  telling  Myrnie  that  they 
had  all  gone  to  search  for  her,  thinking  she  was  lost, 
and  warning  her  that  if  she  did  not  desist  from  such  a 
saintly  life,  God  would  take  her  up  from  where  she 
stood,  and  translate  her  into  heaven  at  once,  which 
must  not  happen,  as  this  wicked  world  still  had  sore 
need  of  the  angelic  ministrations. 

Myrnie  had  no  tears  to  shed  now.  She  had  again 
passed  beyond  tears  and  seemed  lifted  above  the  things 
of  this  world.  Hurt  yourself  and  no  one  can  hurt  you. 
conquer  yourself  and  no  one  can  conquer  you,  crucify 
yourself  and  no  power  in  this  world  can  touch  you. 

By  the  mighty  force  of  her  will,  the  girl  appeared  nat- 
ural, telling  her  friends  that  she  was  going  to  a  visit 
to  her  old  home  in  Nova  Scotia  and  she  would  be  so 
happy  to  meet  her  old  friends  and  relatives  again.  She 
even  went  out  to  the  barn  and  had  a  farewell  romp  on 
the  hay  with  Becky's  children  because  they  wanted  her 
to  do  so. 

That  evening  she  saw  Don  and  the  priest  drive  up  to 
the  barn,  and  going  to  the  stable  where  Bob  Moore  was, 
get  Puss.  Myrnie  ran  upstairs  in  breathless  fear  of 
him  and  hid  herself.  She  watched  him  breathlessly 
through  a  window.  He  was  Kate's  husband  now.  But, 


333 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

oh,  God,  how  she  loved  him!  How  handsome  he  was 
in  his  free,  easy  movements ! 

After  he  had  gone,  she  heard  Bob  telling  Becky  that 
Don  and  Kate  had  been  married,  and  that  old  man  B re- 
mister  was  going  to  set  Don  up  in  breeding  fine  horses 
and  had  presented  him  the  ranch  on  Cherry  Creek. 

"  I  congratulated  Don  on  his  rapid  success/'  Bob 
chuckled.  "Few  men  get  along  so  fast  on  being  first 
married,  wife,  kid  and  farm  all  at  one  clatter.  Even 
you  and  I  did  not  do  that  well,  did  we,  old  gal?"  He 
came  fooling  around  his  wife  and  kissed  her,  which 
pleased  Becky  immensely,  but  this  fact  she  would  not 
acknowledge,  and  slapping  her  husband  said: 

"  Oh,  go  long,  you  goose." 

It  was  well  for  Myrnie  that  she  was  so  entirely  fa- 
tigued. She  went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly  that  night, 
and  bright  and  early  the  next  morning  started  for  Pres- 
cott  with  Bob  Moore. 


334 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


EARLY  on  Monday  morning  Grin  started  on  his  mis- 
sion of  peace.  Now  that  school  was  closed,  he  left  Seth 
Dailey  with  the  sheep  and,  mounting,  went  to  his  em- 
ployer first.  He  found  Jim  Bailey  at  his  breakfast.  The 
old  man  sat  on  a  stool  by  a  rough  table  seeming  to 
greatly  enjoy  his  meal  of  black  coffee,  bacon  and  frijoles. 
The  surly  fellow  greeted  Grin  with: 

"  What  in  hell  do  you  want  now  ?" 

"  I  am  leavin'  the  sheep  with  Seth  to-day,  Bailey,  as 
I  have  a  mission  of  greater  importance  to  perform." 

"  Maybe  your  mission  is  gettin'  too  damned  important 
for  this  sheep  herdin'  business,  anyway/'  Jim  Bailey 
roared  viciously. 

Grin  understood  the  man  before  him  and  said,  "I  have 
felt  that  way  for  sometime,  but,  Jim  Bailey,  did  you  ever 
know  of  my  neglecting  your  business  since  I  have  been 
drawin'  pay  from  you?" 

"  Damned  if  you  ever  did,  Oliver.  You  are  the  only 
herder  I  have  ever  had  who  was  worth  his  salt.  But 
what  is  this  rushin'  business  to-day?" 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  tell  you  yet.  But  I  want  you  to 
come  to  the  Stronghold  this  evening  at  four  o'clock. 
The  meeting  will  be  under  the  box-elder  tree.  Don't 
fail  to  be  there,  Bailey." 

The  elder  man  stared  at  his  herder  in  alarm  and  in- 
quiry. Grin  let  him  stare,  returning  the  gaze. 

335 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"What  in  hell  now?"  Jim  Bailey  asked. 

"  Nothing  in  hell,  something  more  like  heaven,"  Grin 
replied  soberly. 

"After  another  spell  of  staring,  Jim  Bailey  remarked, 
"Damned  if  I  don't  believe  you  are  gettin'  them  crazy 
spells  your  old,  fool  mammy  used  to  have." 

But  Grin  left  him  with  these  words,  ""Better  be  there." 
He  knew  that  he  could  count  on  this  man;  his  super- 
stition had  been  aroused. 

Grin  next  stopped  at  Bob  Moore's  ranch.  Here  he 
expected  a  more  difficult  task.  Bob  Moore  was  a  plain 
man  and  possessed  that  which  we  call  "horse  sense;" 
he  was  hard  headed  and  devoid  of  superstition,  being 
an  honest  man.  Superstition  find  lodgement  only  in  the 
ignorant  or  dishonest  brain.  Grin  knew  that  he  must 
appeal  to  something  better  than  superstition  to  catch  Bob 
Moore. 

"  Good  mornin',  Mr.  Moore !  fine  day  after  the  rain." 
Grin  hailed. 

"  Yes,  Grin,  that  rain  was  a  Godsend  to  this  country," 
Bob  answered,  not  looking  up  from  greasing  his  har- 
ness. 

Grin  was  puzzled  as  to  how  he  should  proceed;  but 
he  broke  out  bravely. 

"  You  are  a  peace-loving  man,  Bob  Moore  ?" 

Now  Bob  looked  up  in  surprise,  "Huh,  I've  tried  to 
live  in  peace.  Yes  sir;  peace  is  a  favorite  motto  of 
mine,  but  I've  found  it  pretty  bouncin'  hard  sometimes 
to  keep  peace  here  with  the  kind  of  neighbors  I've  had." 

"  There  is  going  to  be  a  change,  Bob.  There  is  going 
to  be  peace." 

"  Why,  what's  up  now,  Grin  ?" 

336 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Can  you  be  at  the  Stronghold  at  four  o'clock  this 
evening,  Bob?" 

"  Guess  not ;  I'm  goin'  to  Myer  to-day." 

"  But  there  is  going  to  be  a  meetin'  at  the  Stronghold 
this  evening  that  is  likely  to  be  mighty  interestin'  as 
well  as  profitable  to  you.  All  your  friends  and  all  your 
enemies  will  be  there  and  there  will  be  a  mighty 
readjustin'  of  this  neighborhood's  peace  conditions.  I 
am  to  officiate.  No  women  nor  kids  allowed."  And 
Grin  left  Bob  chuckling,  feeling  sure,  though  he  knew 
not  why,  that  he  could  count  on  Bob  Moore. 

Bob  left  his  harness  at  once  and  rushed  to  the  house 
to  tell  Becky  about  this,  for  she  was  his  good  counselor 
in  all  things. 

"  What  do  you  think  Grin  has  got  under  his  fool 
bonnet  now?"  he  asked,  as  he  came  upon  his  family  in 
the  dining-room.  Then  he  told  them  of  Grin's  visit  and 
words.  This  set  them  all  laughing,  for  the  Moores 
were  mirthful  people. 

"  Yes,  go,"  Becky  urged,  and  Bob  was  beginning  to 
feel  inclined  to  do  so.  Such  chances  for  fun  like  this 
came  rarely  in  the  neighborhood,  and  who  liked  fun 
better  than  Bob  Moore? 

"All  right,  guess  I'll  give  up  the  Myer  idea  till  to- 
morrow. Can't  miss  any  such  joke  as  that."  And  Bob 
went  back  to  his  harness  chuckling  and  repeating,  "I'm 
to  officiate.  No  women  nor  kids  allowed." 

His  two  boys  came  running  after  him,  yelling: 

"  Can  I  go,  pop,  can  I  go  ?" 

"  Naw,"  Bob  replied,  "No  women  nor  kids  allowed," 
and  snorted. 

By  this  time  Grin  had  reached  Eshler's  place.     He 


337 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

was  at  ease  here,  for  he  caught  his  fish  with  the  first  line 
cast. 

"  Eshler,  there  is  goin'  to  be  a  meetin'  at  the  Strong- 
hold this  evening  at  four  o'clock,  and  if  you  will  be 
there,  you  will  have  an  opportunity  to  do  more  good 
to  your  fellowmen  than  you  ever  have  done  in  all  your 
life  before.  Mind,  no  women  are  allowed." 

Our  peacemaker  knew  that  his  friends,  the  loose  cow- 
boys in  the  country,  were  "busting"  broncos  at  Sour- 
dough Wilson's  corrals  and  there  he  betook  himself 
next.  As  he  rode  up  he  saw  John  Alexander  making 
ready  to  mount  a  young  horse.  The  saddle  was  in  place, 
the  girth  tightened,  and  Grin  had  seen  the  struggle  that 
placed  the  bit  between  the  pony's  teeth.  And  now  the 
prospective  rider  stood  patting  the  horse's  neck. 

Grin  drew  rein  and  no  one  spoke  to  him,  but  he  waited 
calmly,  knowing  that  they  had  seen  him  and  must  speak 
to  him  in  time,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  appear  too  eager 
or  too  soon.  Putting  on  a  very  careless  air,  he  sat 
whistling  at  intervals  a  slow,  easy  tune. 

"John,"  called  out  Sour-dough,  "I'll  bet  you  can't 
stick  that  horse.  He's  got  a  devil  of  a  mean  eye." 

"  Bet  you  bottom-dollar  I  can,"  John  answered  bant- 
eringly. 

"  Let's  see  you  do  it,"  Doc  Manhart  called  out. 

"  If  I  can't,  none  of  you  fellers  can ;  that's  a  cinch," 
John  answered  smiling,  and  with  that  he  sprang  into 
the  saddle  so  quickly  that  the  colt  did  not  know  what 
was  happening  to  him.-  The  animal  squatted  and 
humped  himself  a  little  but  gave  no  further  evidence  of 
being  vicious. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  bet,  Sour-dough,  that  I  can't 

338 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

stick  him?"    John  asked,  springing  up  and  down  in  the 
saddle  to  let  the  horse  know  that  he  was  there. 

"Don't  care  to  bet  anything  now,  John,  changed  my 
mind." 

"  Don't  crawfish  on  us  now,  Sour-dough,  stay  game." 
Doc  Manhart  urged. 

"  Bet  him  yourself,  Doc,"  put  in  Will  Collins. 

"  I'll  bet  him  all  right,"  Doc  answered.  I'll  bet  him 
a  ten." 

"  I  take  your  bet,"  said  John,  and  again  he  com- 
menced to  spring  as  though  the  horse's  back  were  a 
spring-board.  The  poor  creature  did  not  seem  to  know 
what  to  do.  It  straddled  about,  chewing  its  bit  and  al- 
most sitting  down  on  its  haunches. 

"  Hit  him  on  the  end,"  cried  Silvertip,  handing  John 
a  quirt,  whereupon  John  commenced  to  strike  the  horse 
lightly  across  the  hips. 

It  started  forward,  made  for  the  group  of  cowboys, 
its  ears  back,  biting  at  them,  its  glassy  eyes  flashing 
"old  Harry."  It  was  a  buckskin  cayuse  and  had,  as 
these  fellows  expressed  it,  "a  blaze  in  its  face."  It  was 
a  typical  Western  pony  of  the  true  bronco  breed,  and 
those  who  understand  the  nature  of  these  beasts,  know 
how  little  one  can  depend  on  them. 

At  this  venture  of  the  bronco,  the  boys  ran  in  many 
directions,  and  Grin  yelled  loudly,  enjoying  the  fun  at 
their  expense.  The  cowboys  heard  Grin's  laugh,  but 
still  they  pretended  not  to  notice  him. 

The  horse  now  stood  stubbornly  still,  looking  sullen. 

"  Hit  him  again,"  urged  the  Three-cornered  Kid,  and 
John  obeyed.  The  colt  began  to  plunge,  holding  its 
head  down  between  its  knees.  John  went  limp  like  a 
rag,  but  stayed  in  the  saddle. 

339 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"Bravo,  caramba!'  shouted  Mexican  Charley.  "Muy 
bonito  caballo,  muy  bonito,"  as  the  colt  went  plunging 
around  the  corral,  standing  first  on  one  end,  it  appeared, 
then  on  the  other. 

"  Hold  up  his  head,"  the  Korkonian  shouted,  and  this 
would  have  been  the  proper  thing  to  do,  but  it  was 
easier  said  than  done,  once  the  horse  got  his  head  down. 
At  times  the  buckskin  would  stop,  and  holding  his  nose 
against  one  hoof,  would  paw  and  beat  the  ground  with 
the  other,  bellowing  like  a  calf,  then  away  it  went,  buck- 
ing for  five  minutes  without  a  stop.  All  this  time  John 
flopped  about  limberly,  his  head  snapping  on  the  end 
of  his  long  neck  as  though  it  would  fly  off,  but  he 
always  came  down  in  the  saddle,  his  feet  in  the  stirrups 
and  his  long  legs  hooked  under.  At  the  next  stop, 
John  was  able  to  draw  the  horse's  head  up,  and  keeping 
it  up,  struck  him  again.  It  now  trotted  round  and 
round,  whinnying  cheerfully  to  its  mates  in  a  nearby 
corral  as  if  to  say,  "Why  did  they  not  tell  me  they 
wanted  me  to  do  this  before?" 

Now  everybody  cheered,  Grin  louder  than  the  rest, 
for  John  had  won  the  ten  and  would  have  to  treat,  and 
Doc  had  lost. 

Doc  felt  a  little  beaten,  and  to  relieve  his  feelings, 
turned  and  shouted, 

"  Hello,  Grin,  you  living  fool,  you !" 

"  Hello,  you  damned  self.  A  living  fool  is  better  off 
than  a  dead  one.  I  could  have  told  you  that  horse  could 
have  been  ridden,"  Grin  retorted. 

"  What  can  a  nanny-goat  chambermaid  know  about 
horses,  I'd  like  to  know?"  Doc  threw  back  at  him. 
"What  in  hell  brought  you  here  ?  Go  back  to  your  nan- 


340 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  You'll  know  soon  enough  what  in  hell  I  am  here 
for,"  was  Grin's  rapid-fire  reply. 

Everyone  now  turned  and  looked  at  Grin,  but  he  only 
sat  trying-  to  untie  a  hard  knot  in  his  rope,  as  though 
he  were  bent  on  that  task  alone. 

"  Go  ahead  then,  idiot ;  out  with  it,"  Doc  demanded. 

"  I  don't  care  what  kind  of  names  you  call  me,  Doc, 
but  I  got  something  to  say  to  you  fellers  that  I  cal'late 
is  goin'  to  be  mighty  interestin'  to  you  before  the  thing 
is  done  with." 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  Grin,"  said  the  Terror  of  Dublin. 
"This  is  a  time  for  good  news." 

"  Speak,  good  shepherd,  I  beseech  thee,"  Silvertip 
added. 

"  Ba — a — a !"  Doc  called  out,  in  such  exact  imita- 
tion of  a  lamb's  bleat  that  Mexican  Charley  looked 
around  to  see  where  the  sheep  was. 

Grin  had  untied  his  knot  now  and  sitting  up  import- 
antly, began, 

"Boys,  its  one  of  the  things  I've  laid  in  the  night 
and  dreamed  about." 

Doc  cut  him  short  with,  "Grin,  you  better  look  out, 
or  you  will  hatch  out  some  of  them  things  you've  been 
layin'  in  the  night  all  these  years  and  they  will  cause 
you  some  trouble." 

But  Grin  paid  no  heed  to  this  and  went  on : 

"  Boys,  where  have  our  saddles,  our  snaps,  our 
bridles,  and  even  our  animals  gone  in  the  last  three 
years  ?  Boys,  you've  blamed  Jim  Bailey  for  these  things, 
him  and  his  crowd,  and  they  have  blamed  you  for  his 
losses.  You  have  been  enemies  and  carried  your  guns 
when  no  enmity  should  have  existed  among  you,  for 
none  of  you  have  been  to  blame.  There  is  a  mystery 

341 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

about  all  this  and  I  alone  have  the  key  that  unlocks  the 
door  of  the  mystery.  Will  you  have  that  door  unlocked  ? 
Then  meet  me  at  the  Stronghold  at  four  this  evening. 
I  can  restore  to  you  your  stolen  goods."  Grin  paused. 

Everyone  stood  spell-bound.  Was  this  not  the  sub- 
ject on  which  they  thought  most  strongly? 

"Are  you  right  sure  you  are  not  crazy,  Grin?"  Will 
Collins  asked,  rather  pityingly. 

"As  God  hears  me,"  Grin  poured  forth,  standing  up 
in  his  stirrups,  holding  up  his  hands  and  gazing  heaven- 
ward, "I  am  not  follerin'  in  my  old  mother's  steps  and 
I  am  no  lyin'."  Grin  turned  and  galloped  away,  leaving 
the  hammerheads  looking  after  him  in  bewilderment. 

"  What  in  Sam  Hill  ?"  asked  one,  and,  "The  poor  fool 
is  crazy,"  from  another,  and  they  stood  about  looking 
foolish. 

"What  about  this,  Charley?  You  are  one  of  the 
Bailey  faction?" 

"  Yo  no  se,  yo  no  se  nada,"  the  Mexican  said,  shrugg- 
ing his  shoulders  in  the  typically  Mexican  way,  very 
much  alarmed. 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  anything  in  what  Grin  says  ?" 
asked  Will  Collins,  looking  around  at  his  companions. 

"No,  he's  bug-house,"  Doc  said. 

"  I  do  not  think  he  is.  There  must  be  something  do- 
ing a  little  out  of  the  general  run  of  things  at  the 
Stronghold.  If  he  is  playing  us  a  fool  trick,  it  would  be 
the  first  time  for  him  when  he  pretends  to  be  serious. 
I  just  think  I  will  go  over  this  evening  and  see  what  is 
going  on.  Grin  is  not  always  all  bad,  and  he  is  all  right 
in  his  place." 

"  Yes,"  said  Doc,  "he  is  all  right  in  his  place,  but  his 
place  burned  down." 

342 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Let's  see/'  pondered  Sour-dough,  looking  at  the 
sun ;  "it's  about  noon  now.  Come  down  to  the  house, 
all  of  you,  and  I  will  help  mother  get  some  dinner.  I 
churned  about  five  gallons  of  buttermilk  this  morning. 
Besides,  we  got  a  lot  of  fresh  eggs  on  hand.  Like  egg 
sandwiches,  boys?  We  can  have  dinner  and  rest  awhile 
and  all  go  over  in  a  bunch." 

No  one  making  any  objection  to  this,  they  all  mounted 
and  galloped  down  to  Aunt  Sally's,  swinging  their  hats 
and  yelling,  a  double  picnic  in  store  for  them, — first  the 
buttermilk,  second  the  excitement  expected  at  the 
Stronghold. 

After  the  meal  they  felt  better  than  ever,  all  except 
Mexican  Charley,  who  had  drunk  so  much  buttermilk 
as  to  be  almost  helpless  with  stomach  ache.  He  doubled 
up  and  groaned,  'Yo  estoy  muy  mala'  but  when  the 
cowboys  rode  away  from  the  Wilson  ranch,  Charley 
followed  in  the  rear. 

Along  the  dusty  road  they  swept  like  desperadoes. 
When  they  passed  Lucy  Morgan's  house,  Lucy's  wash- 
ing hung  on  the  line,  the  most  conspicuous  garments  of 
which  were  Lucy's  home-made  underwear.  These  were 
made  of  unbleached  muslin,  were  extremely  long  and 
slim  in  the  legs,  with  skimpy  little  ruffles  of  the  same  at 
the  bottoms,  and  looked  especially  ludicrous  as  the  wind 
filled  them  and  tossed  them  about.  As  the  cowboys 
passed  this  array,  John  Alexander,  who  rode  in  the  lead, 
tipped  his  hat  at  Lucy's  washing  with  this  remark,  "I 
always  pay  my  respects  to  such  as  those  whenever  I  see 
them." 

Then  on  like  the  wind  they  swept,  and  soon  reached 
the  Stronghold.  All  those  whom  Grin  had  summoned, 
the  whole  neighborhood  of  men,  were  there.  They 

343 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

rested  in  the  shade  of  the  box-elder  tree,  but  where  was 
Grin?  He  was  not  among  the  number.  As  may  be 
imagined,  these  men  were  not  at  ease;  here  they  were, 
friends  and  enemies  together  and  they  did  not  know 
for  what  purpose  they  had  been  called  there.  Still, 
there  was  the  feeling  among  them  that  this  gathering 
was  for  the  purpose  of  healing  their  neighborhood  sore. 
But  no  one  could  find  a  word  to  say  and  some  sat  while 
others  stood  about  waiting  and  thinking  deeply,  their 
embarrassment  increasing. 

At  length  Bob  Moore  drolled  sheepishly,  "I  wonder 
where  Grin  is." 

At  this  everybody  laughed,  and  the  ice  being  broken 
Eshler  put  in, 

"  I  had  a  deuce  of  a  time  keeping  Lucy  from  coming 
here  with  me,  but  Grin's  orders  were,  'No  women  al- 
lowed/ but  I  have  a  feeling  that  she  followed  me,  and 
is  skulking  in  ambush  about  here  now." 

This  was  followed  by  another  roar  of  laughter,  but 
this  time  it  was  cut  short  abruptly.  The  tree  round 
which  they  sat  stood  directly  in  front  of  a  cave,  and 
from  that  depth  of  darkness,  a  light  was  seen  coming 
toward  them. 

"  Ghosts,  by  hemlocks !"  shouted  Jim  Bailey. 

Mexican  Charley  started  to  run,  but  Grin  soon  stood 
before  them  with  an  armful  of  candles.  He  looked 
about  at  everyone,  and  bowed  profoundly,  squinting  his 
small  eyes  from  too  much  light.  Without  uttering  a 
word  he  commenced  to  pass  the  candles  around,  giving 
one  to  each  man. 

"  Ladies  and  gents,  this  is  a  most  solemn  occasion," 
Doc  Manhart  tried  to  say  mockingly,  but  his  voice 
hitched  several  times. 

344 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  Going  to  usher  us  into  the  bowels  of  the  unknown  ?" 
Bob  Moore  asked. 

"Any  snakes  in  there,  Grin?"  was  John  Alexander's 
question. 

But  Grin  only  waved  his  hand  mysteriously  and  said, 
"  Follow  me,"  leading  the  way  into  the  cave.  All  fol- 
lowed, John  Alexander  at  Grin's  heels  and  Jim  Bailey 
in  the  extreme  rear.  Mexican  Charley  came  back,  but 
he  would  not  go  inside  the  cave;  he  stood  under  the 
box-elder  and  waited,  ready  to  bolt  any  minute  if  any- 
thing happened. 

When  the  whole  number  was  inside  the  cavern,  there 
was  plenty  of  light,  every  corner  being  brought  out  of 
its  blackness.  The  men  stood  looking  first  at  Grin, 
then  at  the  canvas  covered  heaps  on  the  ground.  Grin 
allowed  them  to  stare  with  no  explanation  till  Bob 
Moore  muttered, 

"  My  God,  what  does  this  mean?" 

Then  giving  his  candle  to  the  man  next  to  him,  he 
drew  the  canvas  sheets  away,  revealing  the  numerous 
articles  arranged  in  neat  order  as  he  had  placed  them 
on  the  previous  day. 

Men  catching  their  breath  could  be  heard  swearing 
as  they  recognized  their  own  property. 

"  My  old  saddle,  my  new  saddle,  my  three  saddles," 
said  Sour-dough  and  pounced  upon  a  pile  of  things 
near  him. 

Then  the  cave's  walls  commenced  to  echo  and  re-echo 
the  curses,  the  laughter  and  the  oaths  as  each  man  fell 
busy  sorting  his  own  goods.  For  many  minutes  they 
were  thus  occupied,  then  Will  Collins  spoke: 

"  Grin,  you  will  have  to  explain  this." 


345 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"  That's  what  you  will,"  and  "I  say  so  too,"  from 
others. 

"  I  can  explain  it  all  easily,"  Grin  told  them.  "Not 
a  man  here  has  had  anything  to  do  with  this.  You  have 
blamed  each  other  and  hated  each  other,  now  behold 
your  folly.  And  now  gentlemen,  before  I  explain  fur- 
ther, I  think  it  is  time  for  you  to  shake  hands,  to  show 
your  good  faith  in  each  other." 

This  they  all  did,  and  they  seemed  to  feel  it  deeply. 
Grin  almost  had  his  hand  wrung  off  by  some  of  them 
and  when  they  had  all  done,  Grin  began  to  speak  again, 

"A  man  dwelling  apart  from  among  us  has  done  this, 
and  all  for  the  fun  of  seeing  us  hate  each  other  and 
fight  it  out.  It  has  been  his  one  amusement  for  the 
past  three  years,"  Grin  was  eloquent  and  stood  using 
his  hands  gracefully,  "But  now  that  man  has  turned 
over  a  new  leaf  and  wishes  to  see  peace  among  you,  he 
wishes  to  be  forgiven.  He  has  entrusted  me  with  the 
great  privilege  of  restoring  peace  among  you.  He 
wishes  to  reform,  he  has  reformed." 

"  We  will  give  him  reform,  when  we  get  hold  of  him," 
Jim  Bailey  growled  between  his  teeth,  as  he  stood 
clutching  his  sheep  hides.  Several  others  swore  their 
revenge,  but  Grin  said: 

"  I  will  not  tell  you  who  he  is  unless  you  promise  not 
to  molest  him.  He  has  been  a  benefactor  to  you,  having 
collected  your  wealth  and  kept  it  for  you,  besides  teach- 
ing you  a  great  lesson.  It  has  always  been  his  intention 
to  at  sometime  return  these  things  to  you,  for  he  says 
he  had  no  use  for  them." 

"  We  have  our  own  ideas  about  that,  and  we  know 
who  he  is,"  said  one.  "It  appears  that  he  has  had  other 
amusement  beside  this  in  the  past  year,"  said  another. 

346 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"Come,  let  us  find  him."  And  they  fled  out  of  the  cave, 
leaving  their  goods  behind  them  until  a  better  time  in 
which  to  take  them  home. 

When  they  reached  the  open  air,  they  beheld  a  ghastly 
face  against  the  body  of  the  box-elder.  Don  Gray 
stood  with  arms  folded  across  his  chest,  his  back  against 
the  tree.  I  think  he  wanted  them  to  string  him  up  then 
and  there,  but  they  backed  away  from  him.  The  look 
in  his  face,  the  awful  drawn  pallor,  the  haunting  of  his 
eyes,  was  too  much  for  them. 

Mexican  Charley  had  fled  again,  and  Jim  Bailey 
spoke  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  "God,  it's  his  ghost." 

But  Don  said,  "If  you  want  me,  here  I  am." 

"  We  don't  want  you,  Don,"  Eshler  spoke. 

"  Go  home  to  your  wife  and  baby,"  was  Bob's  coun- 
sel, whispered  in  his  ear. 

"  You've  been  our  banker,  Don,  we  owe  you  grat- 
itude," John  Alexander  added,  laughing. 

The  hammerheads  went  back  into  the  cave  and  got 
much  of  their  goods  after  which  they  departed  for  home. 
Don  had  vanished,  but  Grin  still  remained,  and  climb- 
ing to  the  highest  point  of  the  rocks,  stood  singing  from 
Psalms,  fairly  beside  himself  with  sheer  glory.  They 
tried  to  coax  him  down,  being  afraid  he  would  fall, 
for  he  seemed  uncertain  of  his  muscles  like  a  drunken 
man,  but  no  one  could  influence  him.  The  last  man 
who  left  the  place  saw  him  on  the  topmost  pinnacle, 
singing  to  a  tune  of  his  own  improvising,  "I  will  hear 
what  the  Lord  will  speak;  for  he  will  speak  peace  unto 
his  people,  and  to  his  saints.  But  let  them  not  turn 
again  to  folly.  I  will  lay  me  down  in  peace  to  sleep, 
for  thou,  God,  makest  me  to  dwell  in  safety." 

Someone  among  the  homing  party  said  that  this  af- 
347 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

fair  called  for  a  jubilee  and  a  dance;  and  a  dance  they 
all  declared  they  would  have  before  they  separated  at 
the  cross  roads.  Each  person  was  to  come  just  as  he 
was  found  dressed,  or  not  at  all,  when  the  invitation 
came  to  him  or  her.  When  they  returned  to  the  hall 
that  night,  they  were  a  motley  array.  I  would  not  care 
to  describe  the  costume  of  Aunt  Sally,  and  Lucy  Morgan 
looked  none  too  well,  having  washed  that  day.  But  a 
dance  they  had,  the  like  of  which  Eshler's  Hall  never 
saw  before  nor  since.  Someone  got  a  fiddle  and  com- 
menced to  play,  and  Browns  Springs  swooped  in  like 
a  whirlwind  in  a  cornfield,  picking  up  the  dry  husks, 
and  when  they  were  all  set  and  going  it  was  like  the 
whirl  in  full  force.  Round  and  round  they  swung,  men, 
women,  and  little  children,  singing  the  song  to  which 
they  danced — "Pretty  little  men  in  sandyland,  picking 
up  potatoes  as  fast  as  they  can."  Those  who  could  not 
enter  the  ring  for  want  of  room,  stood  by  and  clapped 
their  hands  and  sang  till  the  din  was  deafening.  They 
kept  it  up  all  night,  Jim  Bailey  seeming  to  be  the  leader 
in  everything.  About  midnight  the  wagon  which  had 
been  sent  to  Myer  came  thundering  up,  and  there  were 
things  to  eat  and  things  to  drink  but  the  dancers  took 
no  time  for  a  well  laid  supper — they  ate  between  times. 

Grin  was  not  among  the  dancers  and  everybody  want- 
ed him.  At  different  times  during  the  night,  cowboys 
had  gone  from  place  to  place,  seeking  him,  but  up  to 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  had  not  been  located. 

"  I'll  find  him,"  said  John  Alexander,  and  departed 
fortwith.  He  returned  a  half  later  with  the  startling 
news  that  he  had  found  Grin  at  the  Stronghold — dead! 
Bruised  and  mangled  at  the  foot  of  a  cliff  he  lay,  where 
he  had  fallen  from  the  high  rock  above.  The  music 

348 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

was  hushed,  the  dance  came  to  an  end.  Everybody  was 
in  deep  sorrow  and  set  out  on  foot  for  the  Stronghold, 
muttering  to  themselves  Grin's  virtues.  And  there  on 
the  rocks  they  found  him,  his  innocent  face  wreathed 
in  smiles  of  heavenly  peace.  The  pale  moon  threw  its 
tranquil  light  on  him,  kissing  him  gently  as  he  lay  dead. 

The  mourners  looked  upon  him  in  awe,  men  in  silence, 
women  and  children  in  tears.  There  he  lay,  a  philos- 
opher, a  virgin  and  a  fool,  wrapped  in  a  glory  that  few 
who  visit  this  earth  have  known.  They  took  him  up 
tenderly  and  carried  him  to  Becky's,  the  place  he  would 
want  to  go. 

The  funeral  was  held  next  day,  Eshler  Morgan  con- 
ducting the  services,  and  he  was  laid  in  a  lonely  place, 
under  broad-spreading  trees.  That  was  the  mortal  end 
of  Grin.  But  the  people  of  that  section  speak  of  him 
often  to  this  day,  and  laugh  at  the  pranks  he  played. 


349 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


UPON  reaching  Prescott,  Myrnie  secured  lodgings 
among  strangers,  not  wishing  to  meet  the  prying  eyes 
and  questions  of  acquaintances.  She  stayed  in  her  room, 
meaning  to  rest  for  awhile,  then  to  lay  some  plan  for 
future  action.  But  no  desire  for  future  existence  came 
to  her.  Her  life  among  the  affairs  of  men  seemed  at 
an  end,  absolutely.  Any  thought  of  returning  to  the 
home  of  her  childhood,  where  she  had  dwelt  in  innocent 
ignorance  of  the  tragedies  which  had  befallen  her, 
among  indifferent  relatives  who  could  not  understand, 
was  unbearable,  much  as  she  loved  the  memory  of  that 
tranquil  life.  She  felt  that  she  must  go  to  some  new 
place  and  start  life  over  again,  and  she  bitterly  re- 
membered Don's  last  words.  "Go  down  to  the  'Y',  turn 
around,  and  take  a  new  start  in  life." 

But  where,  from  what  nucleus  could  any  new  life 
spring  for  her?  The  wells  of  interest  in  this  life  were 
dry,  and  the  sun  could  shine  no  more.  And  as  a  con- 
sequence, no  plan  came  to  her  mind.  She  had  no  wish 
to  plan;  she  only  wished  to  look  backward,  to  relive 
the  months  of  her  past,  and  this  she  did,  over  and  over 
and  over,  night  and  day,  morning,  noon,  evening,  night. 
She  could  not  regret  her  action  in  anything;  she  could 
only  lament  the  outcome.  She  knew  firmer  and  clearer 
than  ever  that,  ultimately,  she  had  acted  in  the  one  way 
that  was  right.  Sometimes  this  thought  came  to  her 

350 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  comforted  her,  lifting  her  soul  to  its  spiritual 
heights,  and  she  felt  that  some  noble  purpose  must 
come  to.  her  and  lift  her  up,  and  in  its  accomplishment 
she  should  be  rewarded  and  able  to  live  again.  But, 
following  immediately  upon  the  heels  of  this  inspiration, 
came  such  an  immersion  into  the  depths  of  despair  as 
she  thought  would  crush  all  life  from  her,  and  she  often 
gave  up  to  it  in  this  wise;  "What  shall  I  do,  what  shall 
I  do?  What  is  this  that  has  come  to  me?  O,  God,  have 
I  so  sinned  that  I  must  suffer  thus?  Let  me  go  mad: 
let  me  lose  consciousness ;  let  me  die,  only  take  from  my 
heart  this  pain."  Then  she  would  struggle  and  try  to 
bear  it  bravely,  believing  it  cowardly  to  thus  be  mast- 
ered by  earthly  circumstances.  Then  she  prayed,  hav- 
ing been  taught  that  God  was  a  helper  in  every  need. 
But  no  nepenthe  came  to  her,  and  for  days  and  days 
she  thus  struggled  with  herself. 

There  were  times  when  she  had  all  she  could  do  to 
keep  from  going  to  Don  and  lie  in  hiding  to  watch  and 
worship  him  in  silence.  She  must  see  him  at  any  cost. 
She  did  go  so  far  one  day  as  to  buy  a  ticket  for  Myer, 
but  the  next  minute  she  came  to  her  better  senses,  and 
she  tore  the  ticket  up  and  went  back  to  her  room  to 
sit  alone. 

She  often  and  in  many  ways  made  attempts  to  throw 
off  this  burden,  and  not  be  crushed  and  strangled  by  it. 
Sometimes  she  went  out  to  climb  a  mountain,  but  if  she 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit,  the  infinite  view  of 
space  which  she  gained  from  this  elevated  point  in- 
creased her  sense  of  loneliness  and  desolation  of  heart, 
and  the  result  was  that  she  always  sat  down  and  cried 
a  long  time  before  making  the  descent.  Oftener  she 
gave  up  before  she  was  half  way  up  the  hill,  and  said, 

351 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

"What  is  the  use?"  And,  turning  around,  went  back 
to  sit  in  the  room  again — the  dreary  four  walls  of  the 
plain  room  with  the  common  wall-paper,  every  figure 
of  which  the  girl  had  counted,  this  way  and  that,  as  they 
stretched  across  the  room  in  every  direction.  She  knew 
every  rent  in  the  curtains,  and  the  stains  on  the  ceiling 
where  the  rain  had  come  through,  the  dull  carpet  and 
the  pictures  on  the  wall. 

Once  she  went  to  call  on  some  acquaintances,  but  the 
aimlessness  of  their  conversation  bored  her,  and  as  they 
sat  commenting  on  their  own  affairs,  their  words 
sounded  dimly  in  her  ears  as  though  they  were  not  for 
her,  and  when  she  returned  to  her  room,  its  quiet, 
which  had  so  often  distressed  her,  seemed  a  delightful 
refuge  against  the  uninteresting  outside  world.  So 
after  all  these  attempts  failed,  she  stayed  at  home.  She 
could  not  endure  the  sound  of  her  violin  now.  Its  voice 
seemed  like  the  wailing  of  her  own  soul,  and  therefore 
she  was  compelled  to  leave  it  untouched.  She  some- 
times sewed  in  her  room,  and  this  was  the  one  occupa- 
tion that  brought  her  any  comfort.  Thus  employed  she 
could  sit  and  stitch  and  stitch,  and  think  and  think.  If 
she  tried  to  write,  only  morbid  sentiments  came  from 
her  pen,  laments  and  complaints  against  the  all-wise  ar- 
rangements of  things,  and  knowing  that  these  were  use- 
less, all  her  literary  efforts  went  into  the  waste  basket. 
Much  of  her  time  was  spent  looking  out  of  the  window 
at  the  landscape  thus  framed  for  her.  It  was  always 
the  same  with  few  signs  of  life  to  change  its  monotony,, 
but  the  trees  and  the  brown  hills  within  the  frame  did 
not  become  tiresome.  Perhaps  a  bird  alighted  on  the 
branches  of  the  tree  outside  her  window,  or  hopped 
about  on  the  grass  seeking  the  insects  that  hid  there,  and 

352 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

its  movements  took  her  attention  while  it  lingered,  and 
when  it  flew  away  she  waited  for  another  bird  to  come. 
She  wondered  if  these  birds  suffered  the  loss  of  their 
mates  ever,  and  said  to  them,  "Bless  your  little  heart, 
come  and  tell  me  all  about  it  and  I  can  sympathize 
with  you." 

As  the  days  wore  on  she  grew  more  used  to  her  sor- 
row. Her  face  came  to  wear  less  of  pain  and  more  of 
resigned  sadness.  The  expression  in  her  clear  spiritual 
eyes  went  to  the  hearts  of  those  who  chanced  to  look 
into  them.  Her  landlady  knew  that  some  great  grief 
tore  the  soul  behind  those  eyes,  but  felt  that  it  was  too 
deep  a  sorrow  for  her  to  interfere  with.  She  only 
smiled  tenderly  or  touched  Myrnie  gently  and  caress- 
ingly when  she  came  near  her,  and  Myrnie  understood 
these  expressions  of  sympathy  and  was  grateful. 

When  Fred  Harmon  came  to  town  and  sought  her, 
taking  her  by  surprise  as  he  always  did,  she  almost  ran 
into  his  arms  before  she  could  check  herself,  for  he  now, 
of  all  the  world,  seemed  a  benefactor  to  her.  And  until 
she  saw  him  now,  she  had  ceased  to  remember  his  ex- 
istence; he  had  not  been  in  her  thoughts  since  the  night 
of  the  flood,  and  at  this  unexpected  meeting  she  ran 
toward  him  out  of  the  reflex  memory  of  an  old  impulse. 

"  Myrnie,"  he  exclaimed,  and  came  eagerly  forward 
to  meet  her,  but  drew  back  in  subdued  wonder  at  the 
look  in  her  eyes  when  she  stopped  and  held  up  her  hands 
before  her  in  a  protecting  way,  trembling. 

"Do  not  touch  me,  Fred,  please,  till  I  have  told  you, 
then  you  will  hate  me." 

But  he  paid  no  heed  to  this.  This  was  his  Myrnie, 
his  beloved,  the  one  for  whom  he  had  planned  so  long, 
the  one  to  whom  he  had  come  home  with  so  much  joy 

353 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

and  expectation  after  ten  months  of  hard  struggle  in  the 
financial  whirls  of  the  East,  and  he  had  succeeded.  This 
was  his  'Myrnie  in  flesh  and  blood,  and  could  anything 
keep  her  from  him?  He  adored  her,  no  matter  what 
she  had  to  tell  him. 

He  took  her  in  his  arms  in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  stop 
him,  and  kissed  her  as  he  had  thought  to  do  thousands 
of  times,  and  she  came  out  of  it  crying. 

"  Is  this  my  welcome  after  so  much  expectation,  little 
Myrnie?  This  is  the  reason  you  have  not  written  to 
me  for  so  long.  But  come,  tell  me,  I  can  comprehend 
anything  and  shall  not  blame  you,  child." 

She  suffered  herself  to  be  led  to  a  window  seat,  and 
there,  sitting  beside  him,  her  hands  clasping  and  un- 
clasping (but  this  was  her  only  sign  of  agitation),  she 
told  him  her  whole  story  unflinchingly,  adding  that  she 
loved  him  as  a  kind  and  good  friend,  and  had  tenderness 
and  sympathy  in  her  heart  for  him,  but  not  that  great 
love  which  she  had  known  for  Don  Gray. 

Fred  was  very  uneasy  during  her  story,  sad  and  crest- 
fallen until  he  found  that  Don  was  lost  to  her,  then  all 
seemed  clear  to  him. 

"  I  shall  not  mind  him  at  all,  Myrnie,  and  I  know  that 
you  will  forget  him  in  a  short  time.  You  love  me  now 
next  best.  I  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  love  you  have 
for  me  till  I  can  win  all  your  love.  You  are  too  young 
yet  to  love  anyone  very  deeply.  That  great  love  must 
come  later.  I  want  you  to  become  my  wife  just  as  we 
have  planned  it,  and  I  will  be  so  good  to  you  that  the 
great  love  of  your  developed  womanhood,  as  your  years 
come  on,  will  be  for  me.  I  know  it.  Do  you  not  think 
so,  Myrnie?" 

"  Maybe,"  she  said,  smiling  sadly. 
354 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

He  used  long  arguments  with  her,  wringing  affir- 
matives from  her,  and  told  her  that  only  the  isolation 
of  the  cattle  country  had  caused  her  to  imagine  an  affec- 
tion for  this  unworthy  fellow.  Myrnie  listened  patiently 
to  all  this,  and  did  not  dispute  him,  but  in  her  heart  of 
hearts  she  knew  better. 

It  would  seem  that  Fred  Harmon's  past  experience 
would  warn  him  against  a  marriage  for  anyone  where 
love,  first  of  all,  did  not  exist,  but  he  was  so  blinded  by 
his  own  great  love  that  everything  seemed  possible  to 
him. 

"  Just  you  wait  till  I  show  you  what  I  brought  you 
from  New  York,"  he  told  her,  and  took  her  to  his  apart- 
ments to  verify  his  assertion.  She  expected  him  to  pro- 
duce a  jewelry  case,  but  what  was  her  surprise  when 
she  saw  him  pull  two  large  trunks  from  the  wall  with 
these  words: 

"  These  are  all  for  you." 

And  when  the  trunks  were  thrown  open,  how  large 
her  eyes  grew.  In  the  top  till  of  the  first  trunk  were 
two  hats,  one  for  dress  and  one  for  travel.  Myrnie 
wondered  what  they  had  cost;  they  looked  so  rich  and 
smart.  Then,  wonder  of  wonders,  down  into  the  trunk 
he  delved.  There  was  a  complete  trousseau,  and  of  the 
finest.  Dresses  and  gowns  the  like  of  which  Myrnie 
had  never  seen  before,  everything  she  could  need  and 
much  more,  it  seemed  to  her.  Fred  was  not  unaccus- 
tomed to  buying  ladies'  apparel. 

During  the  unpacking  the  girl  had  stood  braced 
against  the  wall,  her  hands  spread  out  on  the  wall  paper, 
and  saying  almost  nothing;  only  smothered  "Ahs,"  and 
"Ohs,"  came  from  her,  but  how  swiftly  the  thoughts 
flew  through  her  brain.  Fred  was  fully  enjoying  her 

355 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

surprise  and  delight.  After  everything  was  displayed 
and  some  of  the  things  tried  on,  and  when  she  heard 
fully  how  he  had  gone  to  milliners  and  modistes  of  the 
best  and  had  described  her  minutely  to  them,  she  under- 
stood why  everything  suited  and  became  her  so  well. 

"  Fred,  do  you  not  remember  once,  when  you  said  I 
was  Cinderella,  I  told  you  yes,  only  I  had  no  fairy  god- 
mother; now  you  are  my  godmother." 

"  Yes,  don't  I  look  motherly  ?"  and  he  hugged  him- 
self and  danced  about  on  one  foot,  "But  this  is  not  all," 
he  continued. 

And  now  the  jewelry  cases  were  brought  out.  Myr- 
nie  had  never  worn  jewelry  or  thought  that  she  cared 
for  it  particularly,  but  what  was  this?  What  woman 
could  stand  by  and  see  these  cases  opened  and  show  no 
emotion  ? 

When  all  had  been  displayed,  she  looked  at  Fred 
earnestly  and  a  long  time,  thinking  how  he  must  have 
thought  of  her  constantly  to  have  done  all  this  for  her. 
She  wished  she  could  love  this  man,  and  as  she  sat  look- 
ing at  him,  she  determined  to  try.  A  love  like  this  was 
priceless,  she  told  herself. 

"  I  am  afraid  this  is  not  true.  Maybe  it  is  only  a 
dream  and  I  shall  wake  from  it,"  she  said,  smiling. 

"  But  I  can  make  you  realize  that  it  is  not  a  dream," 
and  he  pinched  her  cheek  so  hard  that  he  heard  from 
her.  He  pulled  a  lock  of  her  hair  till  he  heard  from 
her  again,  but  this  time  it  was  her  sweet  laughter  with 
its  old-time  ring  that  affirmed  her  belief  in  the  reality 
of  her  surroundings. 

He  told  her  to  employ  a  dressmaker  to  fit  the  dresses 
to  her,  and  that  after  a  week  they  would  be  quietly 
married  and  start  on  a  tour  of  Europe  to  be  gone  for  a 

356 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

year,  would  stop  in  Nova  Scotia  first,  and,  if  she  de- 
manded it  of  him,  he  would  dwell  on  one  side  of  the 
Gut  of  Canso  and  she  on  the  other,  and  he  would  swim 
over  every  day  to  see  her  in  a  secret  trysting  place 
among  the  rocks.  Over  all  this  they  laughed  gaily,  but 
she  told  him  she  could  not  consent  to  this  without  a 
great  deal  of  thought.  And  he  left  her  for  a  few  days 
in  which  she  was  to  think.  At  first  it  seemed  impossible 
to  her  but  later  the  matter  presented  itself  in  a  different 
form.  She  reasoned  that  she  could  never  really  love 
any  man  but  Don ;  he  was  lost,  lost  to  her  forever.  And 
comprehending  Fred's  great  love  for  her,  she  thought 
that  the  best  purpose  to  which  she  could  put  her  life 
was  in  making  him  happy  in  payment  for  what  he  could 
do  for  her.  She  would  try  to  love  him  and  would  never 
deceive  him.  She  explained  all  this  to  him,  and  he  was 
satisfied  and  she  felt  justified. 

The  next  morning,  when  Fred  came,  she  met  him  at 
her  door,  saying,  "Let  me  look  at  you,  Fred — I  really 
have  not  looked  at  you  since  you  came  home,"  and  he 
smiled  and  stepped  about  quickly,  making  sport  of  her 
desire  to  inspect  him  when  in  truth  he  was  very  much 
pleased. 

How  really  fine  he  was,  large  and  strong  and  hand- 
some in  his  perfectly  mature  manhood.  His  past  months 
of  rubbing  against  the  real  business  world  and  his  own 
success  in  it  gave  him  that  air  of  a  thorough  man  of  the 
world.  The  Arizona  tan  had  gone  from  his  face,  and 
in  its  place  was  the  clearness  of  Eastern  eye  and  com- 
plexion. His  clothes,  too,  were  of  a  different  cut  from 
the  prevalent  Arizona  style,  which  is  generally  at  least 
two  years  behind. 

"  How  handsome  you  have  grown  I"  she  kindly  re- 

357 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

marked,  and  this  made  him  so  happy  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  demonstrate  his  feelings. 

In  a  week  more  they  were  married  and  gone.  And 
this  was  'Myrnie's  marriage,  so  different  from  what  she 
thought  it  would  be.  She  did  not  forget  her  love  for 
Don  Gray  at  once.  She  had  that  to  struggle  with  for 
a  long  time  at  intervals,  but  she  afterwards  came  to 
know  that  her  love  for  Don  had  been  but  the  love  of 
the  body,  as  the  first  love  often  is,  and  not  that  great 
love  of  the  inward  soul  of  which  her  nature  was  capable. 

Memory  of  the  hammerheads  came  to  Myrnie  long 
afterwards  and  in  many  places.  Perhaps  it  was  in 
Paris,  in  Italy,  or  in  Rome  of  an  evening  when  she  sat 
alone  and  she  would  have  given  her  present  all  for  a 
mere  sight  of  the  sage  brush,  for  the  sounds  of  a  cor- 
ralled herd,  or  for  a  glimpse  of  the  desert  far  away  in 
that  lotus  land  of  charm.  The  image  of  Don  mingled 
dimly  with  it  all  and  made  the  memory  hallowed.  But 
Time  is  our  great  healer,  and  though  we  may  never 
forget  the  heart's  deep  wounds,  there  comes  a  day 
when  they  do  not  smart. 

But  I  know  of  another  marriage  of  Myrnie's  in  after 
years  which  was  altogether  different  from  this  first  one, 
but  I  shall  not  tell  you  of  that  now.  I  love  my  Myrnie 
too  much  to  drag  her  through  all  that  at  this  time.  If 
you  wish  to  know  about  it,  you  will  have  to  tell  me; 
then,  after  a  little  rest,  I  will  unfold  the  story  to  you. 


358 


AFTERTHOUGHT. 

SOME,  no  doubt,  who  read  this  story  will  condemn 
Myrnie  because  she  married  one  man  while  loving  an- 
other. Be  honest  with  yourself;  do  you  think  there  are 
many  women  who  under  the  same  circumstances  would 
have  done  otherwise?  Don,  who  was  unworthy  of  her, 
was  lost  to  her.  What  other  path  was  left  open  to  her  ? 
Europe!  Had  that  not  always  been  her  dream? 

I  have  a  friend,  a  whimsical  bachelor,  and  he  has  not 
made  a  fortune,  and  he  tries  to  hint  to  me  (but  I  will- 
not  let  him)  that  this  is  the  reason  that  no  woman 
would  ever  marry  him.  He  is  mistaken.  Many  of  the 
best  women  in  the  world  marry  poor  men. 

Now  my  friend,  the  bachelor,  has  no  way  with  women. 
He  does  not  know  how  to  say  nice  things  to  them, 
does  not  understand  "small  talk."  He  is  really  bashful 
in  the  presence  of  women,  and,  I  must  say,  a  little 
afraid.  He  is  profound  and  serious,  and  he  would  not 
tell  a  little  "white  lie"  to  please  any  woman. 

He  and  I  discuss  these  questions  with  pleasure  and 
gusto  and  perhaps  some  profit,  but  he  is  always  cynical 
on  this  one  point.  When  we  read  the  "Little  Minister" 
together,  he  accused  Margaret  of  discarding  the  dominie 
and  taking  Adam  Dishart  back  because  of  the  bag  of 
gold  which  Adam  threw  on  the  table.  Again,  when  we 
read  "The  Virginian,"  he  said  that  Molly  Wood  would 
never  have  hesitated  about  accepting  the  Virginian  from 
the  first  if  he  had  been  a  rich  man.  Upon  both  occasions 
we  quarreled. 

If  men's  and  women's  places  were  reversed  in  this 
world,  I  wonder  would  a  man  never  consider  a  woman's 
bank  account  before  accepting  her?  I  suppose  not. 

359 


In  the  Land  of  Extremes. 

Have  you  never  heard  of  a  man  who  married  a  woman 
for  her  money?  No? 

I  have  a  very  strong  notion  that  my  friend,  the  bach- 
elor, would  like  to  marry  a  wealthy  widow  of  whom  I 
know.  I  support  Myrnie  in  her  action,  but  I  am  sure 
to  have  a  tiff  with  my  friend  the  whimsical  bachelor 
when  he  has  read  this  story.  He  will  come  to  call  me 
to  account  for  these  last  few  pages,  for  he  will  know 
of  whom  I  refer  herein.  I  am  ready  for  him. 

Perhaps  some  will  wish  to  know  how  Don  and  Kate 
fared  on  the  horse  ranch.  I  can  say  that  Kate  has  al- 
ways been  a  happy  woman.  Her  first-born  was  called 
Don,  and  grew  to  be  a  lover  of  horses,  but  this  is  not 
the  only  child  she  has  borne  her  husband.  One  little 
girl  was  called  Myrnie,  and  this  little  girl  was  her 
father's  favorite  child.  She  grew  to  love  books  and 
music. 

Don  Gray's  married  life  was  not  altogether  an  un- 
happy one  after  the  first  year,  though  on  the  first  night, 
they  tell  me,  he  mounted  his  black  mare,  Fashion,  which 
he  loved  next  to  his  own  life,  and  galloped  from  place 
to  place  all  night  long;  now  to  the  Stronghold  where  he 
met  his  beloved  more  times  than  this  story  makes  record 
of,  now  up  hill  down  hill,  anywhere  and  back  to  the 
Stronghold,  till  the  poor  creature  dropped  down  dead 
under  him.  John  Alexander  found  them  the  next  morn- 
ing not  so  far  from  the  Stronghold,  where  Don  lay 
asleep,  his  head  pillowed  on  the  neck  of  his  lifeless  horse. 

Don  became  a  prosperous  man  but  never  a  good  one. 
Kate's  love,  while  it  satisfied  him  in  a  way,  did  not  purge 
his  soul  to  cleanliness.  There  were  times  when  the  old, 
restless  fever  came  over  him,  the  old  desire  for  double- 
dealing,  and  he  "rustled"  a  calf  to  satisfy  this  feeling 
and  as  usual  was  never  caught.  And  thus  we  leave  him. 

360 


